Balance
by Jen1978
Summary: He thought he was really going insane. But the truth was so much sinister. The darkness in his mind was real and it threatened to destroy not only himself but everybody he ever loved. (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and more)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

This is an idea that's been going in my head for a few weeks now and I've decided to make a story out of it. It is inspired by an old pc game called "The Longest journey", the plot of which I am not going to divulge because I don't want to spoil the plot. I'll try to explain the details as the story unfolds.

This is fiction and I do not stand to make a profit from it in any form.

All characters belong to themselves.

Warning: this is not slash fiction, however it does insinuate it.

So, like I've said before…

Close the door behind you…

Turn off the lights…

Let's begin…

He couldn't remember when it all started happening.

As far as he could tell, he always was a bit strange. He never really considered himself to be normal, and even his friends could see he was weird sometimes, but lately things had gotten out of control.

It had started with little things, small lights or dark spots in the corner of his eye that were gone as soon as he turned his head. He couldn't remember a time where he didn't see those spots. When he was a small child there would always be small hovering lights, or specks of pure darkness. Sometimes they would linger and sometimes they would pass faster than he could see them… almost faster. He would see them everywhere. In class, at home, on the street… they would be with him. Not always, but often… more often than he cared to admit.

So he learned to ignore them. After all, they didn't bother him. And so they slowly faded away. Later, growing up, he would think back to them. He didn't miss them though. He couldn't understand what they were and since he was the only one who could see them, he had convinced himself that they were a figment of his imagination.

And why not? Other kids had imaginary friends, why could he not have imaginary lights and black spots? He never understood what was the point of seeing them, since he couldn't interact with them, but what other options did he have?

He didn't think about them much… and as he grew older, their appearances became rarer, until they disappeared.

And it had been a few years since he had last seen one, dark or light.

So when he saw the dark spots again, during a match a few days ago, he was surprised. They didn't linger this time and they didn't pass fast in front of him. No, this time they stood in the corner of his eye, near the blind spot of his vision and as soon as he thought he had seen one and turned to face it, it was gone; at first he thought it was his imagination, but when it happened again the next night during a match again, he became alarmed. He felt like they were taunting him for some reason; they didn't feel harmless this time; not being able to see them long enough, felt ominous and dangerous.

And one other thing that bothered him was that this time there were no hovering lights… only the dark spots and they had grown into full shadows that they too were gone when he tried to face them. The spots had given way to bigger, thicker and darker shadowy forms. It took him a while to realize this but he was certain that the shadows were bigger and almost had form… human… maybe…

Still he couldn't see them, but they felt different this time. They felt more menacing. And why couldn't he see the lights? The bright lights had not returned with the dark ones.

These events plagued his mind and his every waking moment. They kept him awake at night, his mind and eyes actively searching for the darkness to come forth. But as soon as he thought one appeared, he turned quickly only to find nothing there. It made him paranoid. It made him turn around on himself like a madman.

It made him think he was losing his mind.

Finally, he thought his sanity had been broken to pieces.

But that didn't stop him from trying to see them, make some kind of connection. It has been a couple of days since he had been trying to focus on a certain point, fixating on a spot really hard while trying to let his peripheral vision do the rest and fill the blanks.

He was sitting on a bench in the locker room, alone after a match, when Roman entered. Dean was so lost in his head, he didn't hear his friend.

Roman looked at him. He was sitting still in his ring gear, still sweating, elbows on his knees, head in his palms, eyes fixed on the floor. He called out his name, but he didn't acknowledge him.

"Hey Dean"

He noticed Dean was out of breath and still sweating profusely, which was strange given the fact that his match had ended an hour ago. He came closer, not trying to be silent, and stood beside him, clearing his throat.

Still, no reaction.

It was then that Roman noticed his friend's face. His eyes were not blinking. A vein in his neck was pulsating, his teeth were gritting and his fingernails were digging into his temples. Roman's heart sunk and his stomach turned.

"Dean?" he whispered, his arm reaching towards his friend.

Still no reaction.

When his fingertips touched his shoulder, he felt a jolt of electricity that made him take a step back.

Dean was startled out of his concentration and jumped on his feet, looking at his friend as if he was seeing a ghost.

"Easy there!" Roman said raising his hands.

Dean was panting hard, with a look of fright in his eyes. Roman took a step closer, reaching for his shoulder again.

Dean looked at him again and then at the reaching hand.

"What's wrong?" his concern getting bigger.

Dean looked around the room and then back at him, getting his breath under control.

"Did you see it?" he muttered.

"See what?" his hand now on his friend's shoulder.

"The shadow"

"What shadow?"

"It was right there just now!" Dean said pointing at the far left corner of the room, just behind his left shoulder with eyes wide open.

"What are you talking about? Dean there is nothing there"

Dean looked around panicked. He was looking for the shadow, but like his friend had said, there was nothing there.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Roman looked around following the other man's gaze, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. A few moments passed in eerie silence.

"I swear it was right… Fuck…" he said and sat down, Roman following suit.

"Dean, what happened? What did you see?"

Dean nodded his head in defeat. There was no point in explaining to him anything. They hadn't believed him when he was a child, they wouldn't believe him now. He rubbed his face, wiping some of the sweat away.

"It… it doesn't matter" his voice more rough than usual.

"It does matter… I called you and you didn't hear me. You looked… I've known you for many years and I have never seen you like this before"

"Like what?"

Sadness passed from Roman's face.

"Desperate… afraid…"

Dean chuckled.

"Story of my life"

Roman gave him a puzzled look but didn't say anything. He just looked at his friend waiting for an explanation. He knew better by now than press for answers. Dean would tell him, in his own pace and in his own time.

Dean exhaled and closing his eyes, let his head fall back.

"I am tired" he spoke.

Roman put his palm of Dean's forehead.

"You feel a little warm. Come on… let's go to the hotel get some rest. I'll drive us."

Dean just nodded.

The drive to the hotel was silent. Roman could tell that whatever was bothering his friend was still troubling his mind. Dean's silence was so unlike him. He was sitting on the passenger's side; arms crossed trying to keep himself warm. The car's heating wasn't helping him apparently. He had his eyes closed, and Roman thought they must be hurting him.

"I can feel you looking at me" he said, half smiling.

"How are you feeling?"

"My eyes sting… and my bones ache… I feel like I'm sick with the flu or something…" he exhaled, resting his head back. "And I am cold"

Roman was getting very worried at this point. It seemed Dean's fever hadn't gone down, and he wouldn't stop shivering.

"As soon as we reach the hotel, I'm calling the doc, ok?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to rest that's all"

Still, those eyes remained closed.

"Fine, but I'm not letting you sleep alone, so tonight we share the room", he said sternly.

"Fine" he whispered back, and snaked his arms closer to his body still.

And then nothing else was spoken.

The hotel room was simple, nothing fancy but practical. There were two single beds, one bathroom, a small fridge and a French window looking the back of the hotel, for more privacy. The view was nothing special either, but there were no other tall buildings looking at the hotel rooms, so more privacy.

Which was good, Roman thought. He didn't want fans or reporters spying on them.

As soon as they entered the room, Dean fell on the bed closest to him, clothes, shoes and all.

Roman, locking the door after putting the 'do not disturb sign' on, walked towards his friend. He was pale, and his skin was warm but he wasn't sweating any more, which troubled him. He would give Dean until morning, and if the fever remained then he would call the doctor.

"Come on buddy, let's get you under the covers"

He helped Dean out of his shoes and clothes and put him under the covers. Before letting him rest for the night, he made sure he gave him an aspirin. Dean looked out of it. He didn't resist any of it, or spoke a word. His eyes remained closed.

Roman sat on the bed and just looked at the sleeping man. He wasn't shivering anymore and he looked somewhat peaceful. Today's events really troubled him, especially the shadows Dean said he had seen. His friend was always calm, collected, rational and he never let his fears overwhelm him. But seeing him afraid of a shadow, one that wasn't even there, really troubled him. And he had no idea what to do.

It was then he decided to call Seth. Maybe he would have an idea.

"Roman, you are overreacting" Seth said with a lowered voice.

Dean was still sound asleep and they were standing a few feet away, near the window. Roman had told him the events as they had unfolded up until the time he had put him to bed.

"It's just I have never seen him like this"

"Maybe he was tired. Lack of sleep can do that to you"

"Lack of sleep?"Roman asked confused.

"Well, yeah" Seth said. "He told me a couple of days ago, that he had problems sleeping, so… maybe that lack of sleep finally got to him"

Roman looked unconvinced.

"Look, he already seems fine. Fever is going down, he is resting… maybe you should too."

"It's just he looked so scared and confused. It really frightened me seeing him like that"

"Did you see any shadows?" Seth asked, trying to prove a point.

The Samoan nodded negatively.

"So there… maybe the fever was causing him hallucinations"

"What if it wasn't the fever?" Roman looked at the carpet.

Seth looked troubled and straightened his back in surprise.

"Pretending to be crazy in the ring is one thing, being actually insane is another… don't even think about that… you'll see, he will wake up, and everything will be back to normal."

They looked at their sleeping friend, both hoping they were right.

It was just the fever talking…

He was just tired.

Right?

He welcomed the darkness.

Finally sweet sleep.

It felt like it had been ages since he had last rest. And he was thankful he had his friend to help him.

He was aware he was in a hotel room and he was aware of people speaking. He recognized the voices. Roman and Seth. He couldn't tell what they were talking about… they were whispering, so maybe they were talking about him.

Most likely.

Then the aspirin kicked in. The pain on his body receded and his eyes didn't hurt anymore. His fever felt lower too and soon he drifted back to sleep, hugging the covers tighter around him.

.

..

…

Dreaming of nothing was perfect. It was pure rest. It meant his mind had nothing to process and his body would really be able to recover.

He was aware he was asleep… which was weird. But there was nothing around him. He felt like he was existing in a void; only darkness surrounded him. A darkness so palpable he could almost touch it; and it could almost suffocate him. In his dream he felt like the air was getting thinner by the minute. There was sound either, only the sound of his breath, coming out in ragged gasps.

And he didn't move. He could, but he didn't dare to. He was afraid of what might happen to him if he took a step in this darkness.

Then he heard them.

At first, they were so faint, he thought it was his own breath. When he realized it wasn't, he held it for a moment just to be able to hear what it was. It sounded like voices being carried by the wind from afar, like the final reverberations of an echo.

Then they started getting closer to him, slowly but surely. And was still holding his breath afraid that he might be heard. Afraid that those whispers might find out where he is.

There…

They had changed direction. They were coming to him from his left.

No… they were approaching from his right.

But they kept speaking to him. Drawing nearer every time.

The voices he could hear were so many, and they all spoke at once. They were speaking different things, different languages…

And now they sounded like screeches reverberating on metal walls.

They sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

And they were screaming his name.

They were all around him, coming to him from every direction, deafening loud and terrifying.

Dean covered his ears. Those screams brought tears to his eyes. They hurt his head in a way more painful than he had ever felt before.

"Please stop" he begged, keeping his eyes shut and his ears covered. He fell on his knees, his legs no longer able to keep him up.

The voices were so loud and they felt like the wind, like a tornado all around him.

When the voices became too loud, he was able to hear what they had been saying.

And it was the last thing he heard.

They said…

"Come to us. We are waiting."

All that you touch  
All that you see  
All that you taste  
All you feel.  
All that you love  
All that you hate  
All you distrust  
All you save.  
All that you give  
All that you deal  
All that you buy,  
beg, borrow or steal.  
All you create  
All you destroy  
All that you do  
All that you say.  
All that you eat  
And everyone you meet  
All that you slight  
And everyone you fight.  
All that is now  
All that is gone  
All that's to come  
and everything under  
the sun is in tune  
but the sun  
is eclipsed by the moon. 

There is no dark side  
of the moon really.  
Matter of fact  
it's all dark.

-Pink Floyd: Eclipse-


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When he opened his eyes, he found the sun outside was shining. His head hurt, like it did after a hangover. And he felt tired, like he hadn't slept at all.

But he must have, because he was in a hotel, and it was morning. He looked around and found Roman sleeping on the bed next to his. He was sleeping with his clothes on, above the bed sheets. He hadn't bothered undressing or unpacking his suitcase.

Dean looked outside.

That damn sun was really starting to hurt his head.

Gingerly, he sat up.

Bad idea.

The pain in his head grew and he became dizzy. Maybe drinking some water would help. He took a few sips from a bottle that had been placed next to the bed.

Nope. Headache still there… still spitting his scull in half.

A shower maybe?

He got up and immediately regretted it. His legs felt like rubber and he had to hold onto the walls in order not to fall. His stomach turned as well.

"When was the last time you ate?" he thought. And the answer came a few seconds later. "Yesterday… morning?"

Idiot.

He entered the shower and let the warm water fall. Usually that helped with the hangovers, but not today.

His mind drifted to the dream he had last night. It was such a vivid and yet empty dream. As far as he could remember, he always had dreams… but one of pure darkness? He had never had one like this. And the voices… those haunting and terrifying screams, calling him… begging him… cursing him…

Where those voices the shadows he had been seeing? Was there a relation?

Fuck…

Another searing pain in his head erased any form of coherent thought and he found his stomach twisting. He doubled in pain and soon he began vomiting water and bile and some blood. That didn't last long.

He dry heaved a few times when there was nothing else to retch. His brain felt like floating and the world around him started to spin faster and faster. He tried holding on to something, anything, but the glass sliding doors of the shower and the wet walls made it impossible.

And he fell, landing in water and vomit and blood.

Roman woke up when he heard running water and someone puking in the bathroom. He opened his eyes and it took him a few seconds to realize that Dean was not in bed.

"Fuck" he mumbled and got up, heading for the bathroom.

Before he could reach the bathroom door he heard a thud, a sound like someone had thrown a sack of potatoes on concrete.

"Dean!" he yelled as he opened the door. "Shit… shit…shit…" he repeated when he saw him.

He was lying on the shower floor with clenched fists against his head, water still falling, and breathing way too fast for Roman's taste. He opened the shower door, turned the water off and knelt beside his friend.

"Dean?" he said taking his head in his hands. There was no blood thankfully. What worried him was the vomit that was still on the floor and the blood it had mixed in it.

"Can you hear me? Come on… open our eyes… come on…" and gave him a couple of slaps on the face.

Dean wanted to speak or even groan, but nothing could come out, just silent gasp. He wasn't sure if his face was wet from tears or from water. His face contorted from pain, he opened his eyes and looked at his friend's worried expression.

"Can you hear me?" he asked again, helping him sit up against the wall.

He nodded 'yes'.

"Can you stand up?"

"D… don't know" his voice barely above a whisper.

Roman helped him up. It took him a little while getting him to bed since they had to stop every couple of steps for Dean to catch his breath or lean against the walls.

When he sat on the bed, he looked at Roman.

"What is happening to me?" he finally asked wincing, his fingers touching his temples. "My head…" he said closing his eyes and lying on his back. His breathing had quickened. Roman was instantly on his side grabbing his friend's face.

"What is it? Come on… open your eyes… talk to me…"

"My head… please… help me" Dean pleaded, as if Roman could somehow make the pain go away.

And that made the Samoan despair. Dean curled up on his right side and grabbing Roman's hands began to punch his own head.

"Stop it!" Roman withdrew his hands and held him down to prevent him from hurting himself any further. Dean fought him, trying to use his own hands this time to punch his head.

'Maybe this will chase the pain away… cure pain with more pain… trade one for another…'

Then Dean screamed; a rough, deep, guttural scream that was half muffled by the bed sheets. Then the pain grew and it spread through his entire body. It grabbed him by the neck and chest and squeezed hard. Dean took Roman's hands and held them tight against his chest.

He opened his eyes wide, looked at him and pleaded.

"Please… make it stop… take it away…"

Then the shakes began. Roman grabbed Dean by the shoulders and pinned him to the bed. He didn't want either of them getting hurt. But the shakes grew in strength and soon Dean was almost convulsing,

And Roman despaired more. The pit in his stomach didn't have an end any more. And he really thought this would be the end of his dear brother. He took Dean in his arms and held him close to his chest, whispering in his ear.

"I am here… I am here… hold on…"

And Dean kept convulsing, hands tight grabbing the bed sheets as if they would stop him from falling into the void, as if they would stop the world from spinning… as if they would stop the pain that hit him like tsunamis, one after another. The only thing he was able to hold onto was Roman's voice. It felt like the only thing that could keep him from drowning; like the only thing that could keep the pain from completely destroying him. He wanted to tell him to keep talking to him, keep whispering… he wanted to tell him that being held and talked to was really helping, but he couldn't. All he could do was suffer.

But Roman knew; somehow he knew; and held him tighter despite requiring all his strength to keep him in his arms as steady as he could.

"Dean… I am here… shhhh… listen to my voice…. Breathe… breathe…"

At first the convulsions didn't seem to end. But Roman kept holding on; he kept whispering to his ear; he never let go. Dean's face was covered in sweat and tears, teeth gritting, eyes wide open in terror and pain, muscles tied into knots, breathing shallowly, limbs twitching uncontrollably.

"Come back to me… don't let go… come back…"

Come back…

It was noon already.

Seth was going to enter the room using the spare card Roman had given him last night.

Last night… what a night! He hadn't been able to sleep much because he was worried about Dean. He had tried to keep Roman calm and ease him mind, and his own, by telling him it had probably been the lack of sleep. So why hadn't he been able to sleep? Lack of sleep made Dean grumpy, not delusional. Maybe this morning everything would be alright.

His steps brought him to door. He used the card and entered the room.

The sun was shining through the windows, blinding him temporarily.

But the silence was deafening. When his eyes adjusted, he took to the room.

And then he saw them.

On the bed, Roman was holding Dean against his chest, cradling him. The Samoan's eyes were red and puffy from what appeared to be crying… Dean seemed to be asleep, limp against Roman, seemingly peaceful.

Set ran towards them and knelt next to the bed.

"What happened?"

"He woke up and tried to take a shower, while I was asleep. He… vomited blood and then passed out… I carried him here and then he…"

Seth looked at Dean worryingly.

"Then he started shaking… he was crying… begging me to help him… he… he tried to hurt himself, so I held him down… then the convulsions came"

Seth realized he wasn't breathing.

"Why didn't you call a doctor?"

"I couldn't leave him… Seth, it was bad…" he looked at the sleeping man. "Seth… I am scared"

"Come on… let's take him to the hospital" he stated and got up. "I'm calling an ambulance"

"Wait… hold on… let me wake him up first…"

Roman untangled himself and lay Dean down on the bed. He took a wet towel and started cleaning Dean's face, gently trying to wake him. He spoke softly to his ear, asking him to open his eyes.

After a few moments, his eyes finally opened. Blurry at first, he managed to focus on the face next to him.

And he remembered everything that had come to pass.

"Hey" Seth said, coming into his line of vision. "How are you feeling buddy?"

Dean groaned.

"Head still hurts?"

"No" he mumbled. "Nothing hurts… not anymore"

"You scared me, you know…" Roman said.

Dean's eyes fell on the floor.

"I'm sorry…" he didn't dare look up, afraid of what he might see in their eyes… his eyes.

"Hey, hey…" Roman lift his head up with his finger and turned his face towards him, "there is nothing to be sorry about…"

"I'm sorry if I scared you… I don't know what's happening to me…"

"Maybe you should see a doctor"

"No…" Dean refused, his voice raising, distancing himself from his friends.

"Dean… you were vomiting blood… you were convulsing… last night you had a fever… hallucinations…"

"I am not hallucinating" Dean screamed and stood up from the bed.

Roman tried to stop him, half expecting him to fall down. But he didn't. Dean turned and looked at them angrily.

"Those shadows I see… I have been seeing them since I was a child…"

Seth's eyes grew and looked at Roman.

"I have been seeing shadows and lights ever since I can remember" he continued and came to stand by the window. Hands folded on his chest, eyes looking out. He couldn't tell them and look at their faces. He wouldn't be able to stand the look of their disbelief… or worse, their pity. "Ever since I was a small child I used to see at first bright, hovering, warm lights… everywhere, all the time. They were always in the corner of the room, a few feet away… And I was the only one who could see them. The dark spots came a few years later… they didn't bother me… but they were always there… they existed with me… they were the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw at night. They were there in the good times… and the bad… but as I grew older… they appeared less and less often… and one day, they stopped… until a couple of weeks ago… they came back, but this time it is different… this time there are no bright lights… just the darkness… and it has grown. They weren't spots anymore, but full shadowy forms… I can feel them behind me, I can feel them closer to me… but I can't see them… they seem to exist on the blind spot of my vision but they are gone when I turn my head. And… they feel different… they feel menacing, angry, desperate."

A pause to collect his thoughts that felt like the scattered pieces of a 5000 piece puzzle.

"When you found me yesterday in the locker room, I was trying to concentrate. I thought that by looking into a fixed spot, my peripheral vision would fill in the blanks and form a complete image of the shadow… but I was wrong… all it did was suck me in further into the darkness… blind me…"

Silence.

"Can you feel them now?" Roman asked, his heart shattered into thousands of pieces. He didn't know why he asked that question. His mind told him that Dean was crazy, that he had snapped, but his heart told him otherwise. Those weren't the worlds of a madman. He looked afraid but sane.

"I can always feel them… they are always there" and pointed just above his left shoulder, rubbing his face with the other hand.

Unwillingly, both men looked but there was nothing there.

"Look Dean, you had a seizure… you puked blood… you have to let us take you to the hospital" Seth asked.

"No, I can't go to the hospital. They are going to give me tests… they are going to think I am crazy, they are going to lock me away…"; a shiver run up his spine.

There.

He said it.

He turned and looked at them. His eyes had welled up.

"I am not crazy" his voice broke.

Roman hugged him and let him burry his face in his chest. He always did have a soft spot for Dean. Seth was nodding negatively, trying to tell the big man to convince their friend and let them take him to the hospital.

"This is dangerous Dean… you can't expect us to sit back and let you suffer. Last night was a nightmare… what if it happens again? What if next time something happens to you? Something permanent… even deadly? How do you expect us to live with ourselves afterwards?" Seth asked.

Dean looked up at Roman.

"I am sorry about last night. For scaring you… but this is my life" he spoke softly, no trace of anger. He took a step away. "You don't have to stick around if you don't want to… I am letting off the hook… there are no hard feelings… I take full responsibility for my actions. You can go."

"You think this is about responsibility? No, it's about your health, your life and us not doing anything about it while you are having fits and retching blood. It's about us having to live with ourselves if something terrible happens to you" Seth was almost yelling.

Dean looked at him. With determination he started to walk away from his friends, but Roman's hand grabbed him by the arm. He looked angry, but he couldn't tell if he was angry at him or Seth.

"No" he said sternly "I am not going anywhere. I have known you for years now. I know exactly what kind of person you are and how your mind works… And I believe you… so I'm staying with you through this… because we are brothers…" he hugged him tight.

"Brothers" he repeated with breaking voice.

Seth looked at them.

'This is crazy' he thought. Reason told him to go; leave and don't look back; this wouldn't end well, he knew it. He stared at Dean who looked so tired and afraid, so fragile and sad.

So he followed his heart.

And stayed.

With his brothers.

These mist covered mountains  
Are a home now for me  
But my home is the lowlands  
And always will be  
Someday you'll return to  
Your valleys and your farms  
And you'll no longer burn to be  
Brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction  
Baptisms of fire  
I've witnessed your suffering  
As the battle raged higher  
And though they did hurt me so bad  
In the fear and alarm  
You did not desert me  
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds  
So many different suns  
And we have just one world  
But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell and  
The moon's riding high  
Let me bid you farewell  
Every man has to die  
But it's written in the starlight  
And every line in your palm  
We are fools to make war  
On our brothers in arms

-Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms-


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A few days passed, and everything seemed to be back to normal. Dean was sleeping again, working out and eating. It was as if nothing had happened. And Roman was more than happy to forget the fact that Dean was always surrounded by shadows; even if he couldn't see them.

Seth had more trouble coming to terms with the story than Roman did. The Samoan didn't want to talk about it, but Seth was always questioning his decision.

"I just don't get how you can believe this story. It is absurd" he said while eating breakfast at a hotel.

Roman looked annoyed. He glared at Seth.

"Look, all I'm saying is maybe we should act" he continued.

"Meaning?"

"Maybe we should take him to a doctor… Roman… what if he IS going crazy? What if there is something wrong with his brain? Like a concussion. If there is damage there, maybe if we don't act, it will be too late… I don't want to have anyone's death on my conscience. Especially Dean's!"

"Why are you so quick on labeling him crazy? He is not. He is rational and kind. He doesn't lie and he doesn't hide from anything. If he thought there was something wrong with his health, he would be the first to go to the hospital."

"How do you know?"

"Because he is afraid of dying…"

Seth eyes widened in surprise.

"How do you know?" he repeated

"He told me one day…He said that the thought of dying, paralyzed him with fear. It made him sick thinking there might be nothing after life… the idea of ceasing to exist, of not having a soul, no heaven or hell… that THIS is all we get… it made him so scared… so believe me when I tell you, if Dean thought he had a concussion, he would be in the hospital first thing." He leaned forward, put his arms on the table and lowered his voice. The room was beginning to fill with people eating breakfast. "As far as the shadows go… I want to believe him. I believe him when he says he sees them, I believe he believes they are real and I believe his fear is real…"

"But?"

"But nothing. He is our brother… and I love him… so whatever he decides I'll be there for him. I sure am not going to leave him alone to deal with this… it's too much for him to face alone; and he needs us."

"I get that… but what if…"

"What if, nothing" Roman cut him off, trying his best to keep his voice down.

"Roman, no" Seth reacted. "I am not going to sit here and pretend that seeing things that aren't there is normal. I am not going to pretend that Dean is not delusional… that everything is ok… and I am not going to let you destroy yourself trying to help him. I am not going to let you drown with him"

Roman looked at him disgusted.

"Who are you? Can you hear yourself right now? This is Dean we're talking about… our brother!"

"So what? If he asked you to jump from a cliff, you'd do it? Because this is what he is asking us to do. We have nothing to go on but blind faith. Trust this wild story about dancing lights and creepy dark dots, than the alternative? That he might be crazy? Or worse?"

They paused and simply looked at each other. Seth was surprised to see that Roman was not furious.

"What changed?" Roman asked suspiciously. "Where does all this come from?"

"Listen…" Seth checked around to see if there were any people listening to their conversation "I love Dean too… it's just that I'm having trouble believing this wild story about supernatural figures… I wanted to tell you since that day… hell, I tried to… but…"

"Then why didn't you? Were you waiting for us to be alone? It's easy talking about someone when he's not present, isn't it? When he is not here to defend himself… look, nobody is forcing you to stay or believe… and I won't insult your intelligence by saying it is easy for me to digest all of this, but I have faith in Dean; and I know he would be there for me if things were reversed."

"Then when the inevitable happens, you are willing to take the fall too? Cause this is what's going to happen… you will forever feel guilty for not doing the right thing"

"And what's that? Walk away?"

"No… take him to a doctor…"

"He doesn't want to go to one. What do you want to me do? Tie him up and force him?"

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea" Seth mumbled, immediately regretting the words that had come out of his mouth.

Roman lowered his eyes, took a sip from his coffee and stood up. He took a few steps but then returned to Seth. He lowered and spoke to his ear, above his shoulder.

"You know what the sad part is? If things were reversed, Dean would never doubt you. He would never sell you and he would certainly NEVER lock you away in a hospital"

Roman looked deep into Seth's eyes for a few seconds before turning away.

Seth remained seated looking at the void.

Fuck… things had escalated quickly. This is not how he imagined this talk would end. He wanted to make Roman see his point of view. He didn't mean to imply that he didn't care for Dean. Just that reason told him to act differently than Roman.

'Fuck' he screamed in his head.

He did care for his brother. He wasn't insensitive to his pain. And he cared for Roman. He couldn't let them alone in this. They would probably need someone like him, someone reasonable. Roman was such a softie when it came to their brother, he sometimes didn't see things straight. Even during the days of the Shield, while they would charge head on like bulls, it was Seth's planning and reasoning that kept them successful and injury free.

However he was curious as to what in the world was happening! He wanted to find out the truth…

He looked outside the restaurant window. Roman was heading to his car.

And hell, he didn't want to leave his brothers alone.

He loved them too much.

Even if they didn't realize it; Even if he had a funny way of showing it.

What was his mother called it?

Oh yeah, tough love…

He got up and jogged to the car, catching up to Roman.

"Yo Roman… hold up…" Roman paused and looked at him from the other side of the car. "Look, I'm sorry man… I didn't mean those things I said"

"Yeah you did"

"Listen, I do care. And I do love you both… I don't want to leave you alone in this… Whatever it is, it feels dangerous, and… and… I'm really sorry"

Roman looked at him from the other side of the car and chuckled.

'Leave it to Seth to turn your feelings around, from disappointment to forgiveness in matter of seconds.'

Roman had known from the moment Seth had uttered those words in the restaurant that he had immediately regretted them; that he wished he could take them back. But he wouldn't have apologized if they had stayed there. Roman knew that a few harsh words of reality and a dramatic exit would be just the thing to make his friend ask for forgiveness.

"Get in the car, you asshole" he said and laughed opening the door for Seth.

Dean was in the gym's locker room, alone. He had just finished working out and that shower afterwards had really invigorated him. He had texted Roman asking him if he could pick him up. They would travel together to the next town, just a couple of hours away for tonight's show.

He was sitting, lacing up his boots when he felt them again.

Just behind him… to his left. He told his mind to ignore them. That it didn't help trying to see them.

But there was something different this time. They felt bigger, stronger and they felt nearer. Like the shadows had taken a step towards him. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. A shiver ran up his spine.

"Go away" he said to the shadows. Eyes still closed; the hair on his arms and neck stood up.

"Leave me alone" he said through gritted teeth.

But they wouldn't leave him alone.

With a sigh he opened his eyes and looked in the mirror ahead. It was fogged by the hot water of the showers and he was thankful he didn't have to see his reflection. He didn't like the way he looked these past days. He stood up and grabbed his duffel bag. Maybe some fresh air would lift his spirits.

'No likely' a voice at the bad of his head told him sarcastically.

As soon as he turned his back to leave, a peculiar sound was heard. He didn't want to turn around. He really didn't want to see what was making that sound. He knew it was the sound a mirror would make when someone was writing something on it using a finger.

What he didn't want to know was who was writing it and what the message was.

'Fuck' the voice told him again and he knew he couldn't ignore it.

He turned around and faced the mirror.

Two palm prints were on either side of it. Palm prints that dragged from the top of the mirror to the bottom, like someone was being pulled. Moreover, there was nobody else around, no one that could have made those prints to mess up with his mind.

He was all alone.

Dean came closer to the mirror. He could see his reflection now. He looked tired and a little spooked. He touched his face under his right eye. He felt like was seeing part of himself for the first time. Then he shifted his gaze to his left, and what he saw made his blood freeze in his veins.

A man was standing right behind him, ashen face, white eyes, sharp teeth, white hair and torn clothes. Before Dean could react, the man opened his mouth and a deafening scream echoed in the locker room, reverberating on the tiled walls. The man reached his hand and grabbed Dean by the throat, digging his nails in his neck. The man screeched again against his ear. He closed his ears and tried to avert his face from the man but the hold was too great. Trying to pry those fingers away had no effect whatsoever.

Another scream; He was sure his eardrums were bleeding.

Then the man disappeared as fast as he had materialized, leaving Dean grabbing his throat and gasping for air.

When he managed to take a few breaths of air, he looked frantically around. The fog seemed to be getting thicker around him and he couldn't see anyone else in there but him. But he didn't stay there longer. He grabbed his bag, and stumbling he got out of the locker room and the gym.

He didn't know where he was heading; he simply knew he had to get out of there fast. He had no idea how long he had been running…

'Minutes… can't be more… can't it?'

But he found a bench and sat down catching his breath.

'Things are getting out of hand and you know it' the little voice in his head told him.

'Maybe I am finally losing it' and brought his face to his hands.

. . .

"Dean?" a voice came from behind startling him.

Roman and Seth approached him, concern written all over their faces.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked but Dean just looked at them, as if he didn't believe they were truly there.

They came and sat with him on the bench.

"How… how did you find me?"

"The gym's manager saw you running out of there, so he pointed us to the right direction and we came looking. You didn't go very far…" Seth added.

"What happened?" it was Roman's turn. But Dean didn't answer. He didn't want to answer…

For so many reasons…

"We are here… no matter what…" Roman said and squeezed his friend's shoulder, comforting and reassuring him.

Then he saw… marks, deep scratches and puncture holes in Dean's neck; blood had tricked down his shoulder blades and chest, but the wounds were no longer bleeding.

"What the fuck!" he exclaimed and showed the marks at Seth. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Does it hurt?" Seth came next to Roman.

Dean just looked at them, heart sinking, stomach turning.

"It happened again didn't it?" Seth said sadly.

"It was different this time… I was ready to leave the gym when something appeared; handprints on the fogged up mirror… when I came near it, a man appeared behind me… he grabbed me… by the neck and… screamed… my ears are still ringing…."

"Who was he?" Seth asked again.

"I don't think it was really a man… his skin was grey, his teeth were sharp, he had white hair and his clothes were torn… his eyes were white… then he left… just like that…"

Roman was angry, but not at Dean. He was angry because there was nothing he could do to help his brother. Seeing the shadows was one thing, but now they were attacking him! He wondered how Dean was keeping it together. It was this reaction that had the Samoan convinced that there must be some truth to all this… if Dean was crazy then wouldn't he be acting differently?

"Did this man say anything to you?"

Roman was thankful Seth was there, level headed as always, to keep them on track.

"He screamed my name… over and over… nothing else"

"Do you still see the shadows?" another question from Seth.

Dean nodded 'no'.

"I could feel them a few minutes before the man appeared. I remember thinking they felt bigger… closer to me… I asked them to go away but they persisted. I told myself to ignore them and when I turned to leave, then the rest happened"

For a while, they stayed together in silence, each man lost in his own thoughts and each thought headed to a vastly different direction. But none spoke. None wanted to.

It was Roman who broke the silence

"We should get those scratches checked out"

"I'm fine" Dean mumbled, wanting to stay there a little longer. It was so quiet and peaceful at that moment, and he wished it would last forever.

It wouldn't.

"Let's go. We have a long drive and we have a show tonight" Seth pointed out and got up from the bench.

Dean wasn't sure if he would make it to the show.

"What is it?" Roman asked when he saw his brother not getting up.

"I'm not sure. I just feel that… something is going to happen… a feeling that I'm not going to make it to the show"

"Don't say that" the Samoan sat back down. "We are here with you. I am not going to let anything happen to you"

Dean looked at him with the softest gaze.

"You might not have a choice… Roman… I feel like I'm fading… dissolving… I feel my energy leaving me… Roman…" he said with teary eyes "I feel like I'm going crazy"

"No, no, no" he said and took his brother in his arms in a tight hug. Dean just surrendered. He suddenly felt so tired and spent. He let the tears run down his face, but there were no sobs. There was no strength left for that.

"You are not going crazy. I know you. And I believe what you say… And I promise I will find a way out of this" he spoke to his ear trying desperately to give him strength and hope.

Seth looked at them from a distance.

He didn't say it out loud.

He didn't want or dare to.

Those scratches on his neck, those were dangerous signs. Roman couldn't see it right now, but he knew. His brother was losing his mind and he was hurting himself in the process. Why couldn't Roman see it? What was it that blinded him? Why did he believe in the supernatural than in reality?

Then the answer hit him.

Because it was easier to believe in the unknown than face the harsh truth; that they were losing their friend; he was slipping between their fingers; and Seth realized one thing.

He wasn't ready to lose him either.

. . .

The drive lasted more than expected. Dean slept in the back seat during the entire time.

And thankfully the show went without a hitch as well.

Roman and Seth found Dean waiting for them in the parking lot. It was late and the night sky was clear and bright. He was sitting on some steps seemingly lost in thought, eyes looking the sky.

Those eyes were far from calm.

"Hey…" the Samoan said and sat next to him, while Seth went to get the car. "Those scratches look good. You can barely see them"

"Yeah, the doc did a good job. He said they weren't too deep or infected."

"So you did see a doctor!"

A nod. Then a few moments of easy silence.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking… I smell flowers and wet soil" he answered with the rough familiar voice.

Roman was surprised. He looked around.

Nope. No flowers and no wet soil.

"You want to know what else?" he continued.

"What?" afraid to hear what would follow.

Dean lowered his head sadly.

"I can hear voices…"

That was new! And not a good sign.

"When did they start?"

"I think they started during the match. At first I thought it was the crowd… but when I got back to the locker room, I could still hear them… laughter and screaming… all at once. They sounded like your ears do after a loud concert… they were far away."

"Were?"

A nod.

"They are getting closer; louder"

"Headache?"

Another nod.

"How bad?"

"It's bad…"

"What do you want to do?"

"Find a hotel room? Wait it out?" he wasn't sure about his own response either. "Maybe this time it won't be so bad"

. . .

Dean's headache became unbearable about fifteen minutes later.

They didn't make it to the hotel. He was in no position to be moved and taking him to a hotel room would draw too much attention.

To Roman's suggestion, Seth parked the car in a remote space in a closed mall's parking lot and try to wait it out.

Dean was in the back seat, huddled in a fetal position with Roman between the two front seats trying to console him; find a way to help him.

But all he did was scream. He couldn't hear his friends, just his own blood pulsing; the voices in his head screaming at him in rage and wrath; they felt like fingernails scratching his brain, shifting and twisting it. He didn't want to scream.

But he did.

He grabbed his head with his two hands and screamed in what it seemed like an eternity.

"Dean please, open your eyes and look at me!" Roman pleaded. "Come on… listen to my voice… I am here… come back to us… don't listen to those voices… I am here… open your eyes"

Seth was scared.

Voices?

What the fuck!

This was developing faster than he thought; Dean needed professional help.

He was about to start the car and drive to the hospital when Dean suddenly stopped screaming and opened his eyes, making Roman recoil.

Those familiar blue eyes were white.

"It's coming" he said.

And it came.

. . .

In the attic lights  
Voices scream  
Nothing's seen  
Real's a dream

Leaving the things that are real behind  
Leaving the things that you love from mind  
All of the things that you learned from fears  
Nothing is left for the years

Voices scream  
Nothing's seen  
Real's a dream

Toys, toys, toys in the attic 

Lights  
Voices scream  
Nothing's seen  
Real's a dream

Leaving the things that are real behind  
Leaving the things that you love from mind  
All of the things that you learned from fears  
Nothing is left for the years

Voices scream  
Nothing's seen  
Real's a dream

Toys, toys, toys in the attic 

-Aerosmith: Toys in the Attic-


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"It's coming" Dean said, his voice rough and deep.

He couldn't remember much from the time they had gotten into the car. He remembered his head had been hurting and by the time they had left the arena after the show, things had escalated quickly.

He remembered sitting in the back seat; and he remembered the pain; and the voices. He remembered he had been screaming till his voice had broken; but he couldn't remember his brothers hovering above him, concerned about his health. He couldn't remember their voices speaking to him, encouraging him, pleading him.

Because all he could feel was pain. Throbbing, debilitating, searing pain.

He had no idea how long he had been screaming. It seemed like an eternity. And those voices in his head; like nails in his brain; like tentacles shifting things around; he had cried at some point… it must have been early on because he remembered that; he remembered that…

But then the pain, as fast as it had come, it was gone. The last thing Dean felt was a stabbing sensation at the back of his head, a bizarre feeling, like an ice pick piercing jell-o.

A deep gasp and a silent scream.

When he opened his eyes, there was so much light around him; white, blinding, cold light, covering everything and everyone. For a moment he was thankful the pain had stopped. He preferred the light, no matter how blinding it was, from darkness.

It didn't last long.

Right in the center of the light a dark shadow began to form. And as it grew it seemed to suck all the light; feed from it; and as it took form, the lights started to dim and it began to grow. And it began to spread like lava; thick, hot and deadly.

And it was looking at him; it was coming for him.

"It's coming"

Roman and Seth looked at him in horror.

'What now?' Seth asked himself. But one look on Dean's face almost made his heart stop. Mouth agape; eyes open wide; no pupils; hands clenched in fists to the point of bleeding; back stiff and arched against the car seat.

From the two, Seth was the first to snap out of it; he sat back down and went to turn the engine on. But he stopped. One glance out the windshield was enough to take his breath away.

"What the fuck!" he said out loud. "Roman… look" he tapped at the big man, making him turn around.

The lights in the parking lot were going off, each lamp smashing one by one as they drew near the car. But there in the distance, following the breaking lamps, was a dark shadow; it looked thick and liquid; and it looked intelligent, making sure it stayed out of the light's reach.

"What is that?" Roman asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good."

"Start the car… get us out of here"

Seth turned the key but nothing happened. The car was dead; as if it had no engine at all. But he kept trying.

The breaking lights came nearer and nearer.

Roman realized that they were at the center. The light was vanishing all around them, and soon he could not see the city lights; soon it seemed like he was falling in a black hole.

"It's coming for me" Dean said in a trance. The he closed his eyes and his body fell limp.

When he started to shift, he sat up straight with great difficulty. He felt so tired. "I have to go" he said

He looked at the approaching shadow, eyes still white, unblinking and dry.

The shadow was almost upon them; huge and all around them.

The light right above the car was the only one left.

Roman looked at Dean as he reached his hand to open the door.

"No!" the big man yelled and jumped on the back seat, stopping him from going outside. He had no idea what that thing was, but he was not going to let Dean go to it. Dean struggled against Roman's grip, but he was too weak. The Samoan trapped him in his arms and no matter how much he squirmed or yelled or fought, he was not going to let him go.

"Oh my God!" Seth exclaimed.

The shadow was right in front of them; it was touching the car, climbing the chassis like an octopus. The moment it touched the car, screeching noises began; like fingernails on chalkboard; like a fork against a plate; making their skin crawl and piercing their heads.

Dean was still struggling against Roman's arms, but his strength was failing him.

"Please" he pleaded, "I have to go… it's calling me… let me go…"

But he didn't. He wouldn't.

Seth looked outside. The shadow was creeping up on the car window. He turned and looked at Roman. Dean was not struggling in his arms any more, but the grip around his body hadn't loosened. Roman was holding him tight out of pure instinct. He too was looking outside.

Seth looked at him as if to say 'what do we do now?'

The shadow started to enter the car through the vents. Like long tentacles, they crept in and soon Seth made the jump to the back seat as well.

"We need to get out" he said.

"And go where? Out there? This thing is all around us!"

"We can't just stay here"

Roman knew they couldn't stay in the car. They had to take their chances outside. Maybe they could outrun whatever this thing was.

He nodded finally in agreement.

"Get out from your side" Roman said "and then help me with Dean"

But when Seth opened the door a few inches, a force closed it back.

Then he tried again. This time the door didn't move at all. He turned and looked at his friends. He didn't know what else to do.

They were trapped.

Roman tried his own door, but it wouldn't budge in the slightest.

"Fuck" he yelled and tried harder.

Nothing.

Then Dean moaned stopping all efforts on their tracks. Suddenly he grabbed Roman from his shirt and yanked him hard towards him.

The convulsions started and they were violent. Dean was shaking, his arms and legs flailing all around, hitting both men indiscriminately. Seth grabbed him along with Roman and held him down as waves of pain were hitting him, crippling his body, twisting it in extreme angles.

His head started to thrash from side to side as if someone was punching him.

The shadow was almost touching them now. And it was cold.

"Dean?" Roman spoke "listen to me… we are here with you… we are here for you… listen to my voice… take deep breaths… we will get through this… just hold on… we are not letting go… please Dean… we love you…"

Then the shakes stopped and Dean opened his eyes. They were back to normal again.

"Roman" he struggled speaking. "It… it… hurts…" as the last traces of the shakes racked his body.

"I know…" he said tearing up "hold on… you have to hold on"

"Help… me… make it s… stop…"

Roman looked at Seth. He had no idea what to do either. They could barely see each other by now.

"NO!" Dean screamed and his voice came so loud and thundering that both his friends recoiled. His body tensed and bent inwards like a fetus.

A gasp… and then his body arched; arms and legs stretched out.

And light…

Dean was emanating light!

A warm blue light and started to shine brighter and brighter.

And he didn't seem to be in pain anymore. His face was so calm and at peace.

Roman and Seth looked in awe as the shadow started to contort and reverse back to where it came from.

Then a loud noise was heard and the two men felt like a bomb had gone off. The intensity of the light grew and spread like a napalm knocking them all back and rendering them unconscious.

Then silence.

Seth was the first one to open his eyes. He rubbed the back of his head. That knock against the door had given him a bump that would take days to go away.

It took him a while to focus his eyes but when they finally did, it was still nighttime and they were still in the parking lot. The lamps from the posts outside were shining once again, casting a sickly yellow light on the concrete floor. It was as if nothing had happened.

But it had, and he had the bumps and the bruises to prove it.

Next one to wake up was Roman. But he woke up with a start, quickly taking in his surroundings with a gasp of air. He felt he hadn't been breathing for a while; like he had been underwater and had just surfaced.

Dean was lying between the two men, unconscious; limb; like a broken used doll. Roman checked him and sighed in relief when he realized his friend was just sleeping.

"He's ok" Seth said rubbing his head.

"Are you ok?"

"Just a bump…" a pause. They looked at each other. "What just happened?"

"I don't know… let's not stay here any longer… find us a motel outside of town and we'll figure it out later."

Seth got on the front seat and was relieved when he turned the key and the engine started.

He looked back from the mirror, crossed eyes with Roman and took off.

Finding a motel outside of town was easier than they thought. Half an hour of driving and Seth had brought them to a small motel on old the high way. He booked the room farthest from the reception and with Roman, carried Dean inside. They placed him on the bed and still he was sound asleep.

He didn't stir or even moan. Roman checked his pulse making sure it was normal and then motioned Seth to follow him away from the bed.

"We need to get some help" he rubbing his face.

"Do what?" Seth asked.

"I don't know, but after tonight I know we can't handle it alone"

"Wait… hold on… are you saying…?"

"No! We are not doing 'that'! The hospital is out of the question. We've already talked about that"

"I'm not saying have him committed to an asylum. I'm not saying that, but we can't let him suffer like this any longer. We need answers so we can relieve him of his pain. I don't think he will be able to handle another episode. We both saw what happened in the parking lot. How do we explain that? What was that?"

"I have a better question… what do we do if those shadows come at him again?"

They looked at each other.

"So what do you suggest? Where do we start? The internet? The library?"

Roman felt so deflated and tired.

"I have no idea"

"He can't go on like this. I fear we may lose him"

Dean was on the bed, sweating, clutching the bed sheets. Seth went and covered him with a blanket leaving the Samoan looking at them sadly.

"I think he has a slight fever" Seth announced but as he got up to take a wet towel from the bathroom, a knock came from the door surprising both men.

Another knock.

Reluctantly Roman approached the door and stuck his ear on it half expecting to hear that awful screeching sound behind it. He looked at Seth who still hovered near the bathroom clutching a white towel.

He didn't speak. He didn't want anyone to know they were there. Dean didn't want anyone else to know.

Roman motioned that there was no sound coming and lifted his shoulders as if asking what to do.

Seth waved his arms negatively. After tonight, he had no idea what would happen next. Not that if that shadow was outside, it would knock on the door, but still…

A third knock startled them as much as the first.

"Open up" a man's voice spoke softly and gently.

Seth waved again 'no'.

"Who is it?" Roman finally asked.

The man outside paused.

"It's me… Matt Hardy"

Roman was surprised beyond measure.

'What on earth!' he thought.

"Matt, this is not a good time" he continued still not opening the door.

"I know about him… I can help"

Seth looked like a lightning had struck them. Both men looked at Dean who still shaking in his sleep, oblivious of his surroundings.

"Please open up. It's not safe" Matt spoke, lowering his voice further.

When the door opened, Matt was greeted by two panic stricken faces whose blood was drained completely by fear. Seth still stood numbly by the bathroom, the towel now a tight knot around his hands and Roman was next to the door, eyes wide open in fright, like a small child.

Matt took a few steps in and heard the room door closing and locking behind him.

"He is on the bed" came the answer to the unspoken question.

Matt walked by the bed and to them, he didn't seem to make any sound. Once he came close to Dean, he knelt by his head and looked at him closely, as if he was memorizing every detail of his face. Still, he didn't touch him, which looked strange to the two friends. Matt's eyes were soft, attentive and deep. He brought his right palm above Dean's mouth and let his fingers hover above his lips. Still; no touch.

Roman and Seth stood together, on the foot of the bed looking carefully, nerves on edge, ready to act should anything goes wrong.

"How long has he been like this?"

Roman started talking

"It started a couple of weeks ago… Dean started by having vivid dreams. Then he was seeing things, hearing weird sounds and smelling things that aren't there. Then the headaches started" he paused and looked down. "followed by convulsions"

Seth looked at Roman and nudged him. "Tell him what happened tonight" he mumbled.

"What happened tonight?" Matt and asked mysteriously.

"Well, while leaving the arena Dean complained of headaches. But this time, it was way worse. We were in the car when the pain became unbearable and he started screaming… I thought… he… we… we pulled in an empty parking lot just to try and calm him down…"

"Why not the hospital?"

"Dean didn't want to go. He was afraid they would lock him to an asylum… Me and Seth decided to stick to his wishes. If we didn't, he would walk away from us and be by himself, and we just couldn't do that."

"SO what happened at the parking lot?"

Again they looked at each other. This time Seth spoke as Roman sat on the bed next to Dean's.

"If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it… the lamps burned one by one and this shadow formed. It started to come towards us, virtually locking us in the car. There was nowhere we could go… I think… Dean saved us…"

Matt remained silent, thinking; trying to fill the gaps; he looked at Dean again. He reached and opened his eyes. They were blood shot and the pupils dilated.

He stood up and spoke softly.

"It has already started"

Mayday! Mayday!  
The ship is slowly sinking  
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling  
They're all around me,  
Circling like vultures  
They wanna break me and wash away my colors  
Wash away my colors

Take me high and I'll sing  
You make everything okay  
We are one in the same  
You take all of the pain away  
Save me if I become  
My demons

I cannot stop this sickness taking over  
It takes control and drags me into nowhere  
I need your help, I can't fight this forever  
I know you're watching,  
I can feel you out there

Take me high and I'll sing  
You make everything okay  
We are one in the same  
You take all of the pain away  
Save me if I become  
My demons

Take me over the walls below  
Fly forever  
Don't let me go  
I need a savior to heal my pain  
When I become my worst enemy  
The enemy

Take me high and I'll sing  
You make everything okay  
We are one in the same  
You take all of the pain away  
Save me if I become  
My demons

-Starset: My demons-


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Author's note: This chapter contains many "historical" (but fictional) events that are necessary for the story to continue. They might seem complicated, but I cannot bypass them as they explain many things. For that I tried to keep this chapter short. Additionally, these events described below, are loosely based on Funcom's 1999 game "The Longest Journey" and it is that game that inspired me to write this story.

. . .

Seth and Roman were sitting and waiting.

The Samoan sat by Dean, while Seth sat on the other bed.

Matt was by the window, peeking through the curtains outside into the darkness, silently. He had asked the two men to sit down.

"I have a story to tell you" he had told them. "Not fiction through; history; and you have to listen to me carefully. Our lives might depend on it"

Those words had brought the two members of the shield into a halt and brought their nerves more on the edge. Hardy's sudden appearance was bizarre to say the least. He was claiming to know things and have answers to their questions. How did he know they were there? How did he know about Dean?

Even more disconcerting, was he dangerous? Friend or foe? After the events on the parking lot, neither of them trusted anything or anyone.

But they were tired and most importantly, curious; they sat down and waited for Matt to begin.

Hardy was still staring into the darkness outside. Blackness always helped him focus and collect his thoughts.

Once he figured he had found the right words he turned around and began.

"In the old times there was one world, one that was called Gaia" he said still facing them. "In this world, magic and science co-existed in harmony… for some time, that is. Then a great war broke between the races of this world; between the human race and the magic creatures, a war that nearly destroyed the world. Then the leaders of the humans and the magic creatures gathered and decided that should this war continue, it would mean the end of all species. In their wisdom, they decided it was best to divide the world in two different ones; one for science, technology and logic; and one for magic and religion.

So, they gathered in the Tower of the Balance, and joining their forces, created a gate through which the worlds would be divided. And they chose a man, a guardian to stand between those two worlds to protect the Balance and keep the worlds safe one from the other. This guardian would stay in place for one thousand years.

Then the first guardian came forth and stepped in the middle of the tower and the cold light of the Balance shone, passing through him.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, one world, became two… divided. Not mirror images, but correlated and dependent but never able one to reach the other. In that instant, families, friends, lovers… were torn… lost… forever"

Matt was sad as he spoke these last words. He collected himself and steadied his voice.

"In order to maintain the peace and the balance, there must always be a guardian. He exists only in the tower, channeling energy through the gate into the two worlds.

But every one thousand years there must be a new guardian.

The last one, the twelfth, stepped down a few weeks ago… since Dean started suffering"

There… it was out. He had all but said it. Matt wondered how long it would take them to understand what they had just been told and then to react.

"Wait… what?" Seth asked confused.

Matt nodded.

"This is insane" exclaimed and stood up walking towards Hardy. "You mean to tell me that Dean… he is the new guardian?"

"Yes" came the soft answer "everything points to it"

"No" Seth refused to believe what he was hearing.

"You don't have a choice I'm afraid. Dean doesn't have a choice. If he doesn't resume his duties as guardian, then he dies… and the two worlds will fold one onto the other. Magic and science together is a very destructive force and capable of destroying both planes of existence."

"How do you know all this?" Seth asked.

"I am one of the wise men's descendants. When the worlds split, half of the wise men came here to this world"

"How many are there?"

"Now, it's just me. You must understand that almost thirteen thousand years have passed since the separation. With time, fewer and fewer wise men roamed this earth; some died violently and some died without having any progeny to pass on their gifts. And one day, my father and I were the only ones left. Knowledge was passed onto me from my father; he told me that it would be in my lifetime that the guardian would change and I have lived my entire life preparing for this moment"

"This is crazy" Seth rubbed his face. This was getting harder to believe by the minute.

"Is it?" Matt asked and pointed at Dean. "Look at him! You've known him for a long time. Do you think he is faking it? Or that I'm lying? If we don't do this, then Dean will suffer a torturous, agonizing and mind splitting death. He has to go into the Tower before…" he stopped.

"Before what?" Seth couldn't decide if he was angry or sad. "Before he dies?"

"How long?" Roman spoke for the first time.

"We don't have long. And there are other forces at work."

"What? Who?" the Samoan stood up.

"There are those who would love to see the two worlds reunite so they can be together again with the ones they love, consequences be damned. But right now, our biggest threat is Bray"

"Hold on… Bray? As in Bray Wyatt?"

Matt nodded .

"He must have known Dean was the next guardian all along. That's why he tried to befriend him. He must have wanted to corrupt him and bring him to the dark side"

"But he failed" Rollins said "Dean was never close with him. Wrestling gimmick aside, he told me that something in Bray was creeping him out; he felt odd around him; he was almost scared of him. He had told me it was just a feeling he had. Bray had been looking at him weird in and out of the ring."

"That is good because it means that Dean's soul is still pure and balanced."

Seth took a couple of paces, lost in thought; his mind still processing everything.

"So, we have to take him to this Tower?"

Hardy nodded.

"So let me see if I get this straight. We take Dean to this Tower and he becomes the guardian for… a thousand years? So that the two worlds are balanced?"

Another nod.

"This is fucked up" he concluded.

"Matt?" Roman asked. "What happens to him?" and looked at Dean.

Seth looked surprised.

"I mean I understand that he becomes this guardian, but… what happens to him?"

Matt's eyes darkened.

"In the heart of the Tower, there is a stairwell that lead to where the edges of the two worlds almost connect. Almost… it is the guardian who connects them, channels so much cosmic energy and brings the balance; it is he that decides. But this is too painful and so the guardian must disconnect from his consciousness."

Matt saw that they hadn't understood what he meant

"It means that he will have no physical contact with the outside world. It will be like being dead. Only his subconscious and his soul will be active."

"We can't let him do that… can we?" Roman got up "There must be another way! He didn't ask for this. He is not ready! We… we are not ready!" the large man was breathing fast, almost hyperventilating. He looked at his sleeping friend. Dean was still sweating, his face ashen; drawn; tired.

"He has no choice I'm afraid. The only way I know he can get out of it is by dying… real, absolute, irrevocable death"

But there was an ugly thought in Rollins' head that kept coming up.

"Matt… is there a chance that Bray might try and kill him?"

"Well, since he failed to lure Dean to the dark side, his only choice is to kill him; prevent him from becoming the guardian and letting the two worlds fold"

"But won't that kill him too?"

"Yes, it will. Bray lost someone dear to him during the separation. And if he can't be with them, then there is no reason for the worlds to exist"

"But if the two worlds were divided thousands of years ago, how come Bray is still alive? I mean, he was born like us wasn't he? How can he know his loved ones are even alive on the other side? How can he be alive?"

"Bray is human and as such he is bound to the same rules as the rest of us… he is born and he dies… His soul however is old and it keeps passing from one life to the next. And he can remember all his past lives; every single one of them."

"Is that possible?" Rollins asked. This was getting confusing.

"It is! With magic!"

"I thought you said that magic didn't exist in our world!" he said exasperated.

"It is extremely rare… Back then before the division, Bray had a soul mate, Abigail. She was a magical creature. But when the worlds split, Bray was sent here while she was kept in the other world… his pain and loss were so great that part of his soul stayed behind. Abigail cursed it to never forget her; always be in pain; always love her; always remember her until they are once again reunited. Bray's soul is being tortured for thousands and thousands of years now. His pain has twisted, distorted and deformed his soul; it has made it unrecognizable and ugly"

"But if she cursed him, how can he love her still? If she had caused him all this pain and suffering, why would he still want to be with her? It doesn't make any sense to me"

"Finding your soul mate is a glorious feeling! This love is so bright, it is blinding. When you are one of the two parts of a whole, it makes you selfish and jealous. Abigail is a magical being and as such she has already been corrupted by the dark side. Bray's corruption was easier to follow. Taint one to taint the other. It was this corruption that made her curse his soul. She was already in the dark side before the separation"

"So, they would rather destroy the two worlds and kill billions of people?"

Matt nodded.

Roman was eerily silent.

"Can Bray take Dean's place as the guardian?" Seth asked.

"Yes he can; anyone can; but if someone like him takes his place, the consequences will be disastrous. First of all because Bray is not in balance. And second of all, should he ascend as guardian, then one of the two worlds will be destroyed… and it will be ours, I can pretty much guarantee you that! The world that has kept him away from her. Our plane of existence will crumble under the weight of magic and the loss of the guardian's attention. Should he become guardian, all his focus will turn towards Abigail and her world. But…" he paused and looked at Dean.

He took a step towards the bed.

"But I don't think becoming one is an option for him. His soul is too devastated by time and loneliness; it can't take another thousand years to be apart from her… no…" he sat next to Dean and took his hand in his. It felt cold.

"No, whatever he has to do, he's run out of time. It is now or never; everything or nothing; life or death"

"So… what do we do?"

Roman stood up and walked away from the bed.

This was all just too much, even for him. It was surprising how Seth seemed to be taking it all in stride; how he was the one asking questions and clearing things up? The same Seth that wanted to have Dean committed to a hospital because he didn't believe that his friend was having visions!

'Fuck' he thought, still no believing the wild story he had just heard. Separated worlds, magic, souls apart, and gates and guardians and balance!

'Fuck all that' he wanted to scream but didn't. He didn't want to look at them. He wanted all this to be over; to just turn back time and go back to when everything was happy to the point of perfection. He wanted his friend back. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

"How can we trust you?" he asked after a while.

"If I wanted you dead, you would already be dead." He responded calmly. "Listen, you don't have to trust me now. But eventually you will have to because right now, I am the only one who can help you"

"If you want to help us then find a way to save Dean! Help him!" Roman raised his voice.

Matt lowered his head.

"I'm afraid there is no saving him. There never was… he was doomed from the moment he was born… he never had a chance to begin with… I really am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. All I can do is help the Balance, help the worlds and protect Dean until he ascends to the Tower."

Roman looked at Dean and suddenly he felt ill. His legs no longer held him so he let himself kneel on the floor in desperation. He panted forcing back tears.

"I'm not ready… I can't give up on him… this is… you are asking too much… from us and from him"

Seth knelt beside him and held him by his shoulders. He looked into his eyes. He was not ready either.

"You guys can rest for a couple of hours. I'll stay and watch him… then we must continue"

They looked at him.

"The Tower is a long way away. And we are running out of time"

. . .

He was sitting in his car, in the darkness, hidden from all eyes. He had become quite the expert in that. His eyes scanned the scenery before him.

The old highway, long ago abandoned, was crumbling. No one was going to fix those potholes and no one was passing through it any more. He was surprised the motel still existed but he figured that might be because it was a little close to the city and it provided a place for lovers to meet in secret.

Tonight however, he could only see one car outside the motel; the far side of it. One very familiar car; a rental.

The lights outside the rooms where on, so he didn't want to park his car closer; he didn't want to be seen. He had been following them for a while now, waiting for his opportune moment.

He had been so close to his goal in that parking lot… so very close; he could almost taste it. He could almost hold it in his hands. Sweet freedom; joyous revenge! But just as he was about to grasp it and claim it, something had happened. He didn't know what it was; not yet anyway. A force had knocked him out. He didn't know what or where it had come from and how Dean had been so strong. Where had he drawn his strength from? He was truly an amazing being. Too bad he didn't want to be by his side.

Too bad he had to die.

They all had to die.

Bray really hated being the bad guy. He didn't want to, but he just had to. Someone had to. Might as well be him.

He couldn't deny that seeing them carry Dean inside the room had given him such joy. He was so close to breaking. Wyatt had been playing with his mind for weeks now in the hopes his mind would snap and he would become too imbalanced to become the guardian. But those two had set his plans back.

Reigns and Rollins.

They just had to stick their noses in, didn't they?

Bray mouth tasted blood.

They just had to be brothers! Stick by Dean's side. Support him; help him!

Bray clenched his fingers around the steering wheel his anger raising to dangerous levels. If it hadn't been for them, all this would be over by now.

He wanted to go out and put an end to all three men; a gun would do it. Quick and easy. He looked at the passenger's seat; a Glock lay there. Bray looked at it and smiled.

'Time to end it' he thought and picked up the pistol.

Just as he was about to exit the car, Wyatt saw another car park next to the rental, just outside the room. He wondered who that might be.

Then he saw Matt Hardy come out. Despite him wearing a baseball cap and having his hair in a pony tail, Bray would recognize him anywhere. He saw Matt knock on the door several times while looking above his shoulder. That may Wyatt lower into his car seat.

"What are you doing here Matt?" he whispered to himself. "How did you find them?"

Bray wanted nothing more than pick up the gun and shoot them all, but he knew how dangerous Hardy was. He too was probably carrying a weapon.

Then the door opened and Matt went inside, not before taking a last glance outside. Bray knew he had to stay put. They would be looking outside for any signs of him.

He cursed. Now that Hardy was here, they would now the truth and any element of surprise he had had so far, would now be gone. They would know the truth.

He would have to change his plan.

And accelerate it.

But for now he would wait and see what their next step would be.

And he would be there waiting for them

. . .

All the loneliness we felt  
Oh, the feeling  
Cast a burden overhead  
Across the ceiling

And the phantom always waits  
For the midnight  
Holds the dreamer in his hands  
Shadows his eyes

Through the auburn streets of leaves  
I'm surrounded  
Devils dance up in the trees  
To keep me grounded

Desert sun and sweet fires burn  
Through the evening  
As this train tears down the tracks  
I am leaving

She is waiting by a bay  
Through the clearing  
I awake to find her face  
Disappearing

Far across the burning land  
I remember  
Frozen in October's sun  
Comes November

-The Wilderness of Manitoba:November-


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

They had barely slept. Matt had told them to get some rest, but they both found it hard to do so. Thoughts, words and feelings filling their minds and their hearts. And it was so difficult to digest. This incredible story they had been told. It brought their minds in opposition to their hearts.

Seth had tried sleeping on one bed while Roman had tried sleeping in the same bed as Dean.

Dean was still out of it. Since the parking lot, he had not opened his eyes. But his breathing was more regular and his pulse steadier.

Matt was looking outside from the window, never once taking his eyes off the darkness.

In the first sign of dawn, he woke them.

"Daybreak is here. We have to go" he told Seth.

It took them a few minutes to gather their things. Matt made sure that no one was around.

"We can take your car. It is bigger than mine and we can turn back later and pick up mine. Just let me get my things from the trunk"

Seth watched him load a duffel bag on the back of their rental and wondered if he carried anything else with him, apart from clothes.

'Probably' he answered to himself.

"Will you help me load him up?" Roman asked behind him. The Samoan was holding Dean in his arms.

"Do you need help carrying him?"

"No… just open the car door for me and help me lay him down on the back seat."

Seth made sure that no one was around as well and helped Roman.

They were on the road ten minutes later.

Matt was driving the car and Seth was beside him. Roman was holding Dean's head in his lap, at the back seat. A comfortable silence fell and each man seemed lost in thought.

Seth had no idea how long they had been driving… maybe two hours?

The low rhythmic hum of the engine had knocked Roman out. He was sleeping but still holding Dean in his arms.

"Where is this Tower?" he asked turning his eyes on Matt.

"It is not far. Seeing it is a different story. It depends."

"On?"

"On Dean"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that finding the Tower depends on if Dean will accept his fate as guardian. The moment he does, the tower will appear."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then no tower. No guardian. No balance"

"No world?"

"Yeah… no life"

A few moments passed. The sky was cloudy and it smelled like it was going to rain.

"Is Dean ever going to wake up?"

A pause.

"The closer we get to the area this tower is supposed to be, the healthier he will become. But he will never be fully well, until he enters it."

Roman opened his eyes. He had been asleep, but he always had been a light sleeper. Seth's questions had woken him up.

He looked at Dean. He was still sleeping. He touched his forehead carefully.

"He feels cooler" he stated. "The shaking stopped the moment we left the motel and started driving this way. His breathing is a little uneven still"

Matt looked at them from the mirror.

"We have two days of driving ahead of us. By dawn we'll find a motel, rest and pick up by dusk"

"You want to go on all day and night?" Seth asked.

"We have to. I don't want to be confined in a motel at night. It is dangerous. Being on the move is safer at night… Rest now. I'll wake you up when it's time for you to drive"

. . .

Roman could see the first rays of the sun beyond a mountain in the distance, illuminating the sky, giving it vivid orange, pink color. He didn't remember seeing the sky so alive in the city.

They reached a motel half an hour later. Seth booked a room for four people.

They placed Dean on the bed furthest from the windows.

Seth had been the last man driving. Roman had taken the wheel before him.

Matt advised them to sleep.

"I'll take first watch."

As always, Roman didn't leave Dean's side. He pushed two beds together to be close to him, while Seth took the next one, leaving the one closest to the window empty.

. . .

When he opened his eyes the sun was well up in the sky. A sense of hunger filled him and Rollins figured that maybe that's the reason he woke up. There were some snacks on the table. Hardy had brought them and he was so thankful for that.

His eyes searched around.

Dean looked better, but still he had not woken up. Color was slowly returning on his cheeks, but he still looked ill. Roman was sleeping as well.

Taking some biscuits, he opened the door. Matt was outside, leaning against a beam, soaking the sun. He looked at peace.

"You can sleep if you want" Seth told him.

"In a little while"

"I still don't understand… why Dean?"

"Well, as crazy as he might see, he is at peace. His soul is completely balanced, free of magic and scientific influences, but also open… more open than anyone I have ever seen"

"Did you know it was him all along?"

"Yeah…"

"How could you tell?"

"When the wise men came here, the only magic they were allowed to keep was their special sight, what they call 'gazing'. They could see other people's auras, so they can identify good from evil, right from wrong and the guardian as well, should he be from this world. So… I can too"

"Auras? So, like depending on people's feelings and health, you can see colors around their bodies? Cool!"

Matt laughed.

"Yes, if I want to. I've learned to control it, turn it on and off"

Seth smiled, swallowing a biscuit.

"So, what color am I?"

Hardy looked at him for a couple of moments, as if he was thinking.

"Your main color is yellow. It means you are logical, analytical and intelligent. You are good at communicating with others and have very good observation skills. You tend to follow your head and not your heart though… there is also pink… it means you are giving and faithful. And I can see green. That means you are very creative and hard working. You are very popular and respected."

"Wow… I didn't know I was THAT perfect"

Matt laughed out loud sincerely.

"Well, it's the truth"

"What about them?" Seth asked and pointed his head towards the inside of the room.

Matt looked inside for a while then turned his back and looked outside.

"Roman's is orange and purple. He is generous, thoughtful and social. He is kind and honest, but hot-headed too. And bit impatient at times. You know, a 'shoot first, ask questions later' kind of thing"

Seth smiled.

"I know"

"Purple aura people are attuned to the emotions and the moods of the other people, and it is prominent when a person they care about is near them. They know a lot of people, but they are friends with very few."

"And Dean?"

"He is a bit more complicated… When I first saw Dean, he had the darkest blue aura. Like nothing I had ever seen in my life. I had only read it in books. He stood out so vividly, even in a stadium full of people. The outline of his aura was pure silver. It was an amazing thing to behold… that aura belongs only to the guardian. It is how I was able to tell Dean was the chosen one. No one has the same aura, and no one else will, for a thousand years at least."

"You said 'had'. Why? Has it changed?"

"A blue aura means that this person is a master communicator and they have the ability to convey thoughts and ideas. They are very intelligent and intuitive and most of all, the heart and their head are balanced and at peace. Silver Aura people are exceptionally gifted. They are bestowed with sensitivity, intuitiveness, psychic ability and practicality. They have immense versatility and adaptability and are capable of getting the most out of virtually every opportunity in life." Matt paused and looked at Seth. "That, however, has changed drastically these past weeks"

"What is his color now?" Seth looked at Dean through the half opened door.

"All I can see is pure white with sulfur lines, snaking around his form"

"What do they mean?"

"The sulfur lines in his aura signify pain. I have seen it on us when we hurt a body part in the ring… like a head or an arm… then the aura around that body part takes this sickly color. And I have seen it on crazy people, around their heads. In our case, those lines are all round him… when I found you yesterday, those lines were thick and large, almost enveloping him. It was hurting my eyes just looking at him. But since we started moving, they have begun fading… but the white remains…"

He paused. He didn't want to continue. But he had to.

"White aura is like noise. It is not beautiful… just like the difference between white noise and music. It means sickness… nature consists of a discrete vibration of many colors, with white being the one that emerges when all colors are merged together. It is the color I have seen on people before… the end… before death."

Seth felt his throat closing and his heart dropping. The food in his mouth tasted like poison.

"Does… does it mean… he is going to die?"

"No, it means if he doesn't become the guardian, then his pain will be great. It will become so insufferable, he will gauge his eyes out, tear out pieces of his flesh, he will lose his mind. In the end he will beg for death… and he will get it, one way or the other"

Seth felt numb.

"There is no way to win this, is there?"

"For Dean? Becoming the guardian is not losing… but I understand what you mean. In that case… no… neither you nor Dean can win this… I am sorry."

Seth sat down on the porch; head in his hands.

"I… I just can't believe this… it's all happening too fast…so what then? He dies then we all die?"

Hardy sat beside him.

"Well, eventually the worlds will fold. It might not happen in our lifetime, but rest assured, it will happen"

"Isn't there something we can do? Anything? I mean, how do we tell him?"

"I don't know if there's anything we can do, or if we even have the time. It is too late think or search for alternatives. I have no knowledge of any other choices or paths we can take. It is going to be difficult telling Dean, but not impossible. Something tells me he suspects something is wrong; he just can't put his finger on it yet. Now Roman I am more concerned about"

"Why?"

"He is very protective of Dean"

"Well, yeah, we are like brothers. Roman and Dean more so. They've known each other for years. They have been working, traveling and sometimes bunking together since 2011"

"Maybe, but we must be careful of Roman. His feelings make him unpredictable"

"Him, unpredictable? Dean, sure, always, but never Roman"

"Things change with love"

"Look Matt, I love dean too but…"

'Oh!'

The look Matt gave him was explanatory.

'Shit! That changes things!'

Seth felt stunned.

How had he not seen it before? Was he really so blind and self centered?

"Are you sure? I mean… I did not see this coming! I've known them for years, how come I didn't see it? Does Dean know?"

"No. And I don't think Roman is ready to acknowledge his own feelings as well... even to himself… Listen…Dean can't know… he can't find out."

"Why not?"

"It will give him something to hold onto; something to live for and stay behind for"

Seth smiled bitterly and stood up.

"Or it will give him something to fight for… something to protect."

And with that he stepped inside the room.

Roman and Dean were awake.

. . .

Dean opened his eyes groggily. The sunlight coming from an opening in the curtains was blinding him. He wanted to moan but he found it hard to speak. His throat had closed and he felt thirsty.

'How long was I out? Where are we?'

The room was spinning around him and he closed his eyes again. He really didn't want to throw up.

A soft snoring came from next to him. He looked and saw Roman sleeping close to him, hand clasping Dean's t-shirt.

Once again he wanted to speak, but remained silent.

It felt like a dream; like he was still sleeping. Everything was too bright and too quiet.

Dean reached out and touched Roman's face, as if he was making sure he was real; that he was really there. The last thing he remembered was being inside the car; he remembered the pain; he remembered Roman speaking to him… and he remembered holding on to him and his words; they have felt like a life jacket, keeping him afloat while an ocean of hurt was dragging down at the bottom.

And he had felt like drowning; like dying…

Roman opened his eyes. That touch on his face had woken him up. Upon seeing Dean looking back at him, a sense of joy came over him, followed by immense sadness.

He didn't want to lose him.

And it was inconceivable for him that one day Dean would not be there.

A tear ran down his face and quickly wiped it on the pillow.

"Why do you cry?" Dean asked, his voice rough.

No answer.

"What happened?" he looked around again, no longer feeling dizzy. "Where are we?"

Roman looked around the room but didn't see the other two men. The front door was open but he heard soft whispering from the porch.

"How do you feel?" he asked turning his attention on Dean.

"I feel… hangover… a slight headache and a little nausea… I feel like shit, but it's ok… I've had worse" he smiled.

At that moment Seth entered the room, followed by Hardy. When he saw his friend had woken up, Seth ran and hugged him.

"Hey… hey…" Dean hugged back "easy there… what's going on?"

Seth stepped back and let Dean see Matt standing by the bed.

"Guys… Matt? What are you doing here?"

All looked at Hardy. He approached and sat on the bed.

"It's a long story. Your friends know it already… I'm sorry but there is no other to say this, so here we go…"

. . .

I went to the Garden of Love,

And saw what I never had seen:

A Chapel was built in the midst,

Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,

And Thou shalt not. writ over the door;

So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,

That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves,

And tomb-stones where flowers should be:

And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,

And binding with briars, my joys & desires

-William Blake: The Garden Of Love-


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Dean didn't say a word. He barely moved as he listened to what Matt was telling him. His two friends were by his side, silent as well. Seth was looking down at the floor as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

Roman was looking at Matt, but most of the time he had his eyes closed, as if he was trying to forget; to un-hear the story; as if he had just lost a friend…

Time seemed to slow down. Dean could hear the words; he understood them; he didn't want to believe them.

But he knew he did believe them. Something in his heart told him that it was the truth; that everything that has happened to him his entire life, was preparing him for this.

This?

What was this? Become a guardian? Never see his friends again? And for what?

'Oh! Right! Save the worlds!'

He really wanted to stand up and cry out that it was crazy; that it was absurd; and how he wished that everything was a prank; a joke played by his friends.

But he knew it wasn't. He somehow knew that every single word that came out of Hardy's mouth was the truth.

He just had to convince himself to accept it.

The last part he was told was particularly difficult to accept. It still resonated in his mind.

A thousand years…

Bray Wyatt…

Even if he accepted the story of the guardian and this tower, how could he do that for so long? Wouldn't he go insane? And not see his friends again!

"Matt…" Dean hesitated "you said that it lasts a thousand years. Will I be aware of time passing?"

"No… not really. And you will not be aware of your surroundings."

"What happens then? I mean after"

"The guardian is thrown out of the Tower by the Balance to live the remaining of his life… but…"

"It gets complicated… right?" Dean added.

"Yeah! The world is so different that the guardian has trouble adjusting… a lot of time has passed and they find themselves all alone. They don't recognize anything anymore. There is no way for the mind to keep up. Most times the go crazy… or… they die… they kill themselves. It is rare for a guardian to survive this intact… they lose something… and almost all lose their lives after…"

"So it doesn't matter what I do…. I'm dead anyway" he said and lowered his eyes.

Matt paused before answering.

"It's not certain. I mean, maybe you are strong enough…"

"But?"

"But there is no record of what really happens to the guardians. No one else is allowed in the Gate room, where the worlds connect. Once we place you there, we must leave the tower and never see it or you again. The tower vanishes only to appear for the next guardian."

"And if I don't do this, then the worlds will explode?"

"Well… they will fold… and everyone will die. Everyone…" Matt emphasized the last word. Dean fell silent.

"This… this is too much" Roman said. "You are putting too much weight in his shoulders"

"He doesn't have a choice."

"We have to think this trough. This is going too fast"

"I have already told you, we are almost out of time. The things Dean has been seeing are an indication that we are thirty seconds to midnight… if Bray can manifest his hatred and if you can see it as well, then things are way too close to the end."

"Hold on… what?" Seth asked. "You mean to tell me that the thing in the parking lot was Bray?"

"Not exactly. But the gate is unattended too long, and Bray was able to channel some of Abigail's dark magic. A little while longer and he would have killed you all. If it hadn't been for Roman, you would be dead."

Dean lifted his eyes and met Roman's.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just held you and talked to you; tried to make you listen to me. I told you that we are here for you… that we love you"

Seth looked attentively but Dean didn't seem to realize what he had just been told. Maybe because Roman wasn't admitting it to himself... yet. He struggled with the thought of telling them but then he looked into Matt's eyes, and they were telling him to wait for the right time.

"I… I need some time" Dean said and started to stand up. He was still feeling light headed and nauseous, but hid it well.

"Alone" he added when his friends tried to help him.

He walked towards the door.

"You shouldn't be alone" Matt said. "Not with Bray out there"

"I'll just be over here, right outside"

Roman started to protest but Seth's hand stopped him.

"Give him a couple of minutes"

And Roman did. He didn't take his eyes off Dean.

. . .

He was sitting on the porch. He had his back turned on the room but he had left the door opened.

He looked ahead. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. His mind was empty and he found that weird. He felt almost relieved.

The last few weeks had been hell for him and his friends. The thought of him losing his mind was really frightening but dragging them along was not something he could accept. He didn't want them to suffer because of him.

He had been seeing and hearing things that weren't there. And the pain had become so unbearable. He couldn't remember the last day he felt good and happy. And he hated this feeling; the one were his body and mind were so used to the pain that it thought it was normal to feel this way. Ever since he was a child there was always something wrong either with his mind or later with his body.

He wondered if he had been using physical pain to mask the mental one. And he wondered if the voices and the shadows from his earlier life had quieted because of the scars and the wounds he was inflicting on his body; if all the blood he had shed in other promotion was a way to expel them from his head.

'Probably'

He sat there enjoying the view; the quiet around him and inside him.

He couldn't look the sun any longer, so instead he looked down at the dirt, the gravel and the bushes.

And he wondered if he would miss that; feeling things… people. Matt had told him that he wouldn't be conscious of time passing, but what about his memories? Would they still be there when all this would be over? He could certainly understand why the other guardians usually went insane. He just couldn't imagine a world with no family, no friends… no loved ones.

A world for which he would have given everything up; and taken nothing in return.

'Is it worth it?'

The one who had come and sat next to him of the porch, and the others inside the room, where certainly worth it.

He had walked from the room and had sat next to him. Dean didn't have to look to know who it was.

"I don't like it either" Roman said. "I still don't believe what's happening"

Dean nodded his head understanding the feeling.

"I don't want you to do it" he quickly said before his mind caught up with his heart. "I don't want to lose you"

Dean looked at him, not really surprised, but sad.

Then silence. His head had stopped his heart from blurting out more words that maybe he would regret later.

"This whole thing… it might sound weird, but it makes sense to me. It is a relief actually… finally knowing I'm not crazy…"

Dean took a small dry twig in his hand from a bush.

"And I don't want to lose you either… but Roman" he said and used his friend's chin to make him look at him "as strange as it might sound, this is probably the first thing in my life that makes complete sense. And if it means you being alive, then I'm more than happy to do it. You being safe is all that matters to me… I'm just sorry it took me all this time to figure it out"

He looked at the sun again.

"I am scared" he said and Roman simply put his arm around his back and let him rest his head in his shoulder.

"I know" the Samoan spoke. "I am scared too; I wish I could trade places with you"

"No… don't say that…"

"Then… I wish… I wish I could come with you"

Dean smiled bitterly.

"You won't forget me, will you?" he whispered and a shiver ran up his spine. It was at that moment he realized that most of all, he was afraid of being forgotten by the ones he loved most.

Roman squeezed him tighter and kissed the top of his head.

"No… never… as long as I live…"

The sun was finally setting and darkness was creeping. They had to go inside. It wasn't safe.

Not anymore.

. . .

Bray had little trouble following them at first. But when Hardy had decided to keep driving, he had a hard time keeping up; staying awake. He would have fallen asleep on the wheel if it hadn't been for his rage; for his thirst for revenge; for his will to be with her again.

And he knew she would give him the strength he needed to make it.

The absence of the guardian had allowed Abigail to channel some magic to him. Not a lot… just enough. Too bad he had used most of it back at the parking lot. Now he was spending her magic to stay awake and keep up with them.

But he would keep some… for him…

He licked his lips; and feeling quit alert, he stepped on the gas.

He thought he had lost them at some point; then he saw their car at a motel.

He found a spot after the motel and parked the car between some trees, making sure it was not visible. He figured they had decided to travel by day, so he had some hours of rest.

Then he would put his plan in motion. He would just have to wait for night fall.

. . .

He had trouble sleeping. His mind was filled with the events and the revelations of the past couple of days. He wondered if it was normal to believe everything and not question it. Maybe because he had lived almost all his life with the shadows and the voices, it was easier to accept it.

And even if it wasn't the truth, he would be satisfied knowing he was going crazy after all.

He just needed to know so the others wouldn't suffer along with him.

So he stayed awake, lying in bed looking at the ceiling. Roman and Seth were asleep and Matt was sitting by the window. He had his eyes closed and Dean couldn't tell if he was sleeping or just resting his eyes.

He looked at the time.

2:15 a.m.

He got up slowly not wanting to alarm anyone and went to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and looked in the mirror above the washbasin.

His face looked thinner and the color on his cheeks a bit grey. His eyes looked hollow and their usual blue color had faded a little.

At least in his opinion.

However he thought he looked better than he did up until two days ago. And he needed a shave.

He turned on the tap and let the water run. He placed his hands under it and brought its coolness to his face. The feeling was welcome. He wanted to take a shower, but he didn't. Instead he stayed transfixed. There was something about the water that drew him; lured him away from reality and the present.

And soon he couldn't hear any sound.

It was so relaxing, he thought he was dreaming. The soft noise of the water was so soothing to his mind.

"Dean" came a soft whisper behind him waking him up from this reverie.

He lift up his eyes and met the Samoan's. He too looked tired but not worried.

"Are you alright?"

Dean just nodded.

"Can't sleep"

"Of course you can't. You have been sleeping since the parking lot… and that was two days ago… it makes sense you can't sleep."

"I'm sorry if I woke you"

"Nah… don't worry about it" he smiled. "Hey, you want to see something really cool?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Sure"

"Follow me" he said, "but be quiet; we don't to wake to others. We have a long drive in the morning and they need their rest."

Dean followed Roman. They tip-tied to the door and got outside. Matt's eyes were closed; still he didn't look like he was sleeping. His body was too stiff and upright.

It was not until he got outside that Dean found that he had not been able to breathe inside the room. The cool wind that blew among the trees filled his lungs. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

"Feels nice?"

"Yes… it does. Thanks… I needed that; I needed to get out of the room"

Roman nodded.

"What was it you wanted to show me?"

"Come it's this way" he waved for him to follow.

"We shouldn't wander too far away. Matt said it was dangerous" he said but still followed the Samoan, leaving the room behind them.

"I'm here" he said, as they reached the tree line. Dean was still able to see the motel but the darkness was so thick where he stood he doubted if he could be seen from inside.

"Don't you trust me?" Reigns added.

Something really bothered Dean. His heart was beating fast and was screaming at him to turn back. He felt that something was wrong; that Roman would never take him out alone in the middle of the night, away from Hardy and Seth.

But no matter how much his heart told him to turn back, his body kept following him into the night. Dean felt the headache return, ravaging his brain; still as if in a trance he kept walking.

The motel was far away. He turned his head and saw it was more than 300 feet behind him. But all he could do was look. He couldn't turn back.

"You… you are not Roman… are you?" he mumbled as pain shot through his temples. He reached his hands on his head, but the pain had reached the core of his brain, rendering him incapable of speaking.

The Samoan then stopped walking and turned around. A wide smile spread on his face, a smile that was so out of place for Roman. It was awkward and creepy. And his eyes; they were wide open; unblinking. He took a step closer to Dean.

Smirking.

Confident.

"You should have known better" he said; his hand reached out and touched Dean's forehead.

And the pain amplified a thousand fold. And his voice stopped before reaching his throat.

Dean fell on his knees. He wanted to ask him to stop; beg him but Roman kept squeezing his head.

When he released it, the pain didn't recede. Dean kept his hands on his head, on his knees, his eyes watering and his breath hitching.

"Who?" was the only word to come out of his mouth.

The man came and stood in front of him; and when he leaned over Dean saw that it wasn't Roman all along.

Bray Wyatt stood before him, smug, confident and angry.

He grabbed Dean by the neck and squeezed all the air out of him. He brought his face next to his own and whispered in his ear.

"The end… death… is upon you" and licked his cheek.

. . .

Can you hear the silence?  
Can you see the dark?  
Can you fix the broken?  
Can you feel, can you feel my heart?

Can you help the hopeless?  
Well, I'm begging on my knees  
Can you save my bastard soul?  
Will you ache for me?

I'm sorry brother  
So sorry lover  
Forgive me father  
I love you mother

Can you hear the silence?  
Can you see the dark?  
Can you fix the broken?  
Can you feel my heart? 

I'm scared to get close and I hate being alone  
I long for that feeling to not feel at all  
The higher I get, the lower I'll sink  
I can't drown my demons, they know how to swim 

Can you feel my heart?

Can you hear the silence?  
Can you see the dark?  
Can you fix the broken?  
Can you feel, can you feel my heart?

-Bring Me that Horizon: Can You Feel My Heart-


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

He had no idea how long he had been out.

It took him a while to focus. The headache was getting out of control and had reached such levels that Dean found himself drifting in and out of consciousness. And no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't focus enough to look around him and see where he was. It just wasn't sufficiently bright; and soon enough darkness consumed him.

The last time he had regained his consciousness, he had realized that his hands and feet were bound behind his back, and a rag was stuffed in his mouth gagging him, almost suffocating him.

His first reaction had been to panic; and with panic had come fast breathing. He had struggled against his bonds. But there were not many things he could do. His headache had reached epic proportions and the constant humming in his ears did not help.

Then he had passed out again.

When he came to, the humming was still there. He squeezed his eyes trying to chase a bit of the pain away. He found out he was feeling nauseous. This time however, he managed to stay awake and take a better look at his surroundings.

He realized he was in the trunk of a moving car. Panic started to rise again, but he managed to put it under control. The ropes around his hands and feet were tight and there was nothing he could do about them no matter how much he struggled.

When the panic subsided a little, his mind started to wonder.

Bray had managed to lure him away from the motel room. He had somehow managed to disguise himself as Roman, using some kind of magic.

Magic!

How strange that word was. A few days ago, he would have laughed at that sentence. There was no such thing as magic.

How wrong he had been.

Thinking back, however, he could sense that was something off with 'Roman' the moment they had gone outside. A little voice at the back of his head had been telling him that the Samoan would never lure him so far away; so alone.

And Hardy had been sleeping so weirdly. Maybe Bray had something to do with that as well. He must have used magic to orchestrate all that.

Deep down, he knew the reasons behind these actions… and his desired conclusion.

He struggled against his bonds at the thought of death.

Becoming the guardian was one thing, but dying altogether was another.

Because if he died, then all the people he ever loved and cared about would die as well. He never really cared if he lived or died. Growing up there were few things he cared for. The problems of his youth and his subsequent suffering, always overshadowed anything positive in his life. Always.

But today was a different story. Today he had something to live for; someone to fight for. It didn't matter how sorry he felt for Bray…

Because he did…he deeply felt sorry for him and he couldn't imagine how he must feel after all those years…

But the end didn't justify the means. He could not let Bray destroy everything he cared for. It was too selfish to let this pass.

He truly didn't care about what would happen to him He was already prepared to make the sacrifice and become the guardian;

Hell he could even consider dying if it meant the others would live.

And he would die if it was necessary.

But not like this; not with so much at stake.

Dean had no idea how long he had been in the trunk. Between the splitting headache and the passing out, he had lost track of time. And the bumpy ride was not helping at all.

He tried to focus his hearing. Apart from the car, there was not anything else distinguishable.

'Fuck' he thought.

And this gag was making things worse. There was no way he could get rid of it no matter how he used his tongue. The rag was shoved deep in his mouth.

What made his efforts stop were two things.

One was the fact that the more he struggled, the less air his lungs took in and the bigger his headache grew.

And two, the car started to slow down until it reached a halt.

Dean's heart started to beat faster.

He struggled against his bonds one last time.

He heard a door open and shut and then footsteps coming around towards the trunk.

When it opened, Dean saw him. Bray was standing above him, expressionless; his eyes were cold but Dean could sense the hatred boiling inside.

Such a contrast was a dangerous thing.

He saw that it was still night; the sky above was darker than usual he thought and there were barely any stars visible. But there were no clouds.

Bray leaned over and grabbed Dean by the neck and hair and pulled him violently out, shoving him on the dirt.

Closing the trunk, he turned and looked at the fallen man.

Still, nothing in his eyes.

Empty.

Dean struggled for breath. That fall on the ground had earned him a cut on his forehead, right above his left eyebrow and soon blood started to drip, forming a dark pool of mud as it fell on the dirt. Dean looked at it. It looked so dark and foreign. He had never noticed blood under the moonlight; it appeared quite black.

Bray grabbed him again, this time by the legs and without saying a word, started to drag him away from the car.

Dean would have screamed if it hadn't been for the filthy rag in his mouth. He could feel his t-shirt being torn against the dirt and gravel as he was being pulled hard. Soon, his back was bare and bleeding. Pieces of skin, flesh and blood left a trail behind them as they drew closer to their destination.

Dean tried to kick out, but Bray's hold was too strong and he was already exhausted from the car ride and the pain. Now it wasn't just his head, but his entire body was on fire; as if flames were engulfing him. Bray kept pulling him hard from his tied legs, like pulling forcefully a heavy sack filled with rocks.

If Dean could speak he would have pleaded him to stop. He doubted however Wyatt would have listened.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness again, they reached their destination; a wooden old, weather torn cabin. The windows had no glass but they were boarded up with pieces of wood and metal. Bray dragged him further inside the cabin, to a room at the back, as dust and splinters stuck to his wounded flesh like needles.

When they reached the empty dark room, Bray yanked him one last time and with surprising strength threw Dean against the wall, bouncing him like a ragged doll.

Dean was surprised at this point at his own level of tolerance. He knew he could withstand pain, but this was another level of it. There was not a part of his body that didn't hurt like hell; there was no question about forming coherent words, let alone thoughts. All he could do is focus breathing through his nose and if he could stand still, maybe the pain would subside.

Not a chance.

Bray looked at him with spite and anger. This was a development. An emotion…

He took one step closer and Dean recoiled, afraid of what would follow.

The blow to his head rattled his brain and Dean was sure he heard him laughing maniacally, before he finally passed out.

. . .

He felt like someone had slapped him awake. A sense of emergency screamed in his head, almost begging him to wake up. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath standing up quickly. He looked around frantically and angry at himself.

'Fuck' he thought.

He spotted Seth still sleeping, and shook him with more force than was necessary.

"What?" Seth sat up startled. "What the fuck dude?" he mumbled at Hardy.

"Wake Roman up… Dean in gone"

"What!" Seth exclaimed and the second he stood up, he almost fell, feeling dizzy.

When he managed to steady himself, he looked around. The bathroom door was open and the lights were on.

Matt was outside the room, staring into the darkness, wielding a knife. Then he turned his ear to the darkness, listening for any sound.

Seth looked at Roman still sleeping on the bed, oblivious, his back turned on them.

'Why hasn't he woken up yet?' he wondered.

"Roman" he called out softly but got no response. He neared him, reaching out his hand but Matt grabbed him, stopping him.

"Don't touch him"

It is then Seth realized that Roman's eyes were open staring blankly to the wall.

"What's wrong with him?"

Hardy neared Roman as if he was looking for something, searching his body intently without touching it.

"There" he said after a few moments, pointing at Roman's face. When Seth leaned over he saw black specks of fine dust in and around his nose.

"What is that?"

"Some kind of sleeping dust. I've only read about it"

"What do we do? We have to wake him up and look for Dean"

Matt kept looking at Roman's face. He looked calm and in control, which eased Seth a bit.

"Could you bring me a towel from the bathroom? Soak it in cold water… I'm going to try and wipe it off"

Seth did as he was asked. He handed to towel and took a step back.

"Be on alert. He might react scared or violently."

Hardy took the towel. It was too wet; he brought it to Roman's face and let some droplets fall, washing away all traces of the dust.

At first there was nothing; no reaction. But after a few seconds, he sat up, gasping for air.

"Dean!" he shouted and went to stand up, before he felt hands stopping him.

Roman looked frenzied and scared. He didn't seem to recognize the men around him or his surroundings. He tried to fight against the hands that held him down.

Seth then sprung into action. He grabbed Roman's face and forced him to look at him in the eye.

"Roman it's me, calm down… Look at me…" but Roman didn't seem to recognize him and still kept fighting him off.

"Roman… STOP!" Seth yelled and slapped him across the face.

That did the trick. Roman stopped fighting and looked at Seth startled.

"What… what happened?"

Matt came closer and squeezed his shoulder.

"Come on… we have to go… now!"

Seth looked at Roman.

"Bray has Dean"

. . .

The moments leading up to them leaving the motel room where a haze to both Seth and Roman. Matt on the other hand seemed in complete control of things. He was driving, focused on the road ahead.

"Why did the drug only work on Roman?" Seth asked breaking the silence. "Why not us?"

"He did… he used the same stuff on all if us. First me and then you two."

"How come we didn't see him coming?" Seth pressed on.

"He used magic. Putting me to sleep was the hard part. Once I was out of the way, he used the powder on you."

"Why didn't Roman wake up with me?"

"Since he was too close to Dean, he had to use most of it on him. I didn't know what it was at first, that's why I didn't want us coming to contact with it"

"But you touched me when you woke me up"

"Like I said… he used little amount on you. You had traces of it… Listen" he voice became somber "I understand your skepticism on this, but you have to realize that my knowledge is theoretical. I am the first 'wise-man' in a thousand years that will come face to face with real magic. Bray has had eons of practice and firsthand knowledge and experience."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you"

"Don't worry about it… I'm trying my best, and I'm failing"

Roman spoke then.

"Don't say that. If it hadn't been for you things would have been different. Who knows what might have happened? We wouldn't know what is going on or what to do… and Dean might've been dead"

"Well… he is missing, isn't he" Matt pointed out disappointed at himself.

"But at least he has a fighting chance. He knows finally that he is not going crazy. He knows the truth… and most of all, he knows he is not alone."

Matt kept driving into the night, Roman's words not really consoling him.

The sky had no stars and he couldn't see the moon.

"Where are we going?" Seth asked.

"To find them" came the vague reply.

"Do you know where we are going?"

Matt looked at Roman.

"You tell me"

"Excuse me?" Roman asked having no idea what Hardy meant by that last statement.

Matt pulled the car over and stopped the engine. He turned and looked at the Samoan.

"You are closer to Dean than any of us; closer you might think or… or care to admit."

"He is like a brother to me"

Matt shook his head and looked ahead. He didn't want to say what he was thinking. In an ideal situation, he would have to make Roman concentrate without stating the obvious… to him at least. But this was not an ideal situation. He had to tell him. Hardy was always in a position of knowing other people's feelings, long before they did. It was the same now. He could see Roman cared for Dean, more than a friend would; and he saw he loved him… more than a brother. He had sworn to never meddle with other people's feelings, but he realized he had to break this promise. They had to find Dean and Roman was the only one who could do it. He had to make Roman face his deeper feelings and help his overcome his scruples. It was a dangerous thing to do. Wrestling aside, Roman had a family and Matt was about to blow that world to pieces.

"No, he is not" Seth said, looking out the window. That statement surprised the two men, for different reasons.

"What does that mean?" Roman asked, his tone becoming angrier. "Are you questioning my loyalty?"

Seth looked at him.

"No… just your honesty."

"Are you implying I don't care?" Roman grabbed Seth's t-shirt ready to fight, but before things escalated, Matt interrupted them.

"He means the opposite" he said in a raised voice and removed Roman's hand from Seth.

The Samoan just kept looking, his expression having changed drastically. He blinked, still unable and unwilling to realize what was going on. Either subconsciously or by choice, he had buried his true feelings; like a traumatic memory that one's mind forgets… until it remembers.

Roman sat back, mouth agape, looking at Hardy.

Seth kept on.

"Man, I could see it from the first time we saw each other. The chemistry was there… the body language… everything"

"Stop it" he whispered.

"But you had a family… and you were both too noble to destroy that… I figured early on the reason you two worked so well together; anyone looking closely could see it"

"I was never going to say anything" Matt added "It was not my place, but I'm afraid this time is different. And we are running out of time"

"What is it you want from me?"

"You have a connection with Dean that none of us have. You are the only one who can guide us to him"

"But I don't know where he is" Roman said exasperated. He took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"If my knowledge is correct, should the guardian get lost, he can only be found by the one dearest to him."

"And that's you" Seth said and looked at his friend.

Roman looked at both of them

"Stop it… I don't understand what you are saying"

"Don't you?" Matt touched his hand. "You know this to be true. For once in your life, stop lying to yourself. Open your eyes and look deep into your heart. Unless you admit what lies within, then we are all doomed. Dean is going to die"

"Stop it" Roman whispered this time.

"No" Hardy yelled. "This is too serious to let go" and grabbed his arm to emphasize his point.

"Let me go" Roman yanked his arm and got out of the car.

The cold night air filled his lungs as he exhaled loudly, letting go the breath he had been holding. He took a few steps away from the car, needing some space to process everything. He felt like drowning; like being punched repeatedly; and the blows kept coming without him having time to recover.

First Dean, then Hardy's wild story, then Bray and the kidnapping, and now this! He really felt he couldn't take any more. It all felt like a nightmare because stuff like these happen only in dreams and tales. He felt like his mind was racing to process everything, and it was failing miserably. He wondered how could they win, if they weren't given the time to plan ahead. Everything they had done so far was react; a knee-jerk reaction to the events thrown at them. Roman felt they had barely had the time to breathe before the next blow came.

And now what was Matt asking of him? Out of the blue! And whatever he was insinuating, Seth agreed with him.

Dean was first and foremost a friend; a brother. There is nothing he wouldn't do for him. He remembered vividly the first time they had met; those playful eyes, the wackiness; the intensity; but also the laughter, the blind loyalty, the endless car rides, hitting the bars, sharing hotel rooms, and most of all, he remembered Dean always being there for him, no matter what… no questions asked.

He recalled how tight Dean had held him the time Roman had won the WWE championship belt, and he could also remember how eager he had always been to share with Dean any exiting news he might have had.

Now that he came to think of it, Dean was always the one closest to him; since day one. He was the only one to stand by him through the good times and the bad; and he had never asked for anything in return.

Dean had always been aloof, sometimes cold with the others, but never with Roman. He always had a smile for him, offered a helping hand and had his back. And he had such an absolute notion of justice; of right and wrong.

And Roman did love him… so, so much.

And there lay the problem.

Roman took a few steps further and rubbed his face.

What was it that they wanted him to do? They had no idea what they were asking him to do. He looked at them sitting in the car. Seth was looking down at his hands, a little embarrassed of what had just happened; about knowing his friend's feelings.

Matt exited the car and walked towards Roman. The car's headlight shone behind him, shadowing his characteristics. It was when he came closer, that the Samoan could see his face. His eyes had become softer.

"I'm sorry for yelling, and for twisting your arm into this… I really am… but we've got no other choice"

Roman shook his head.

"You don't know what you are asking of me… I have a family…"

"I know"

"And I've worked really hard to get over this… put it behind me"

"You are not getting over anything… you are suppressing it; you are lying to yourself"

A pause

"And to your family"

Roman looked at him with such sadness.

"I love my wife and my children. There is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I would die for them… it's just… that… I…"

"You love him more"

A faint nod.

"How is that even possible? I don't understand… I thought I was over it. But the events of the last few days have proven me wrong. I can't imagine my life without him; I don't think I can continue without him… and it is all so difficult! Why is it so hard?"

"For who? You? Or him?" Hardy asked trying to make a point.

No matter how hard Roman thought his predicament was, Dean's was worse.

"I don't think he knows how I feel"

"He does, trust me, I know"

"Why hasn't he said anything?"

"Because he doesn't want to destroy your family. He loves you too much for that"

Roman looked really surprised. He exhaled and looked at Seth, still sitting quietly in the car.

"He is very perceptive" Hardy said concerning Seth "And very clever"

"I wonder how long he's known"

"My guess, he's known for a while. He is just too polite and discreet to say anything"

The Samoan looked back at Matt.

"So, now what? Now that you have what you needed…"

Matt looked sad.

"Now it's up to you. If there is one person who can find him, it's you"

"How? I don't know where he is"

"Your mind doesn't… but your heart does… come on, let's go" he tapped on his shoulder and led him into the car.

. . .

Fear, and panic in the air  
I want to be free  
From desolation and despair  
And I feel like everything I saw  
Is being swept away  
When I refuse to let you go

I can't get it right  
Get it right  
Since I met you

Loneliness be over  
When will this loneliness be over

Life will flash before my eyes  
So scattered almost  
I want to touch the other side  
And no one thinks they are to blame  
Why can't we see  
That when we bleed we bleed the same

I can't get it right  
Get it right  
Since I met you

Loneliness be over  
When will this loneliness be over  
Loneliness be over  
When will this loneliness be over

-Muse: Map of the Problematique-


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When they started driving again, everyone was silent. Matt resumed the driving, while Seth sat in the back and Roman was sitting on the passenger's side.

He was driving to a general northern direction, his eyes fixed on the road and his mind contemplating hundreds of different scenarios. They hadn't been driving long. Maybe half an hour… and he figured it must be close to sunrise without having to look at the time.

Seth was asleep, the rhythmic hum of the car's engine putting him out despite the fact he didn't want to. But he was too tired to resist.

Roman looked ahead, worried but unable and unwilling to speak. He didn't have to. The others knew how he felt and he was somewhat thankful for their silence. He still couldn't understand how things had gotten so out of hand. A few days ago he was a happy husband and a loving father. He was a man who had somehow managed to convinced himself that Dean was his best friend.

Nothing more.

The realization that he had been lying to himself and his family really hurt him. He felt like he had betrayed them. He felt like a liar.

"Stop that" Hardy said to him without turning his eyes away from the road.

This took the Samoan by surprise.

"Stop it" he repeated.

"I can't" he looked at the older man. "I feel like crap… I feel like a liar"

"Why?"

"Because of the way I feel"

"Have you stopped loving your family?"

"Well… no but…"

"Have you done anything to betray them?"

He nodded negatively. Still, he could taste the bitterness in his mouth.

"I feel guilty… because I think I love him more… if things were different, and Dean didn't have to become the guardian, then I think that I would choose to be with him rather than with them… and I… I hate the way this makes me feel… like a piece of shit… like I don't deserve them… or him…"

"Look at it another way. If things were different, then you wouldn't have acknowledged your true feelings. You would have kept lying to everyone. You would be living this fake life. But, you know, the reality is that lies always have a way of catching up to us… in my mind, sooner is better than later… now you know how you really feel and you can correct you mistakes and make everyone's life better"

"Even Dean's?"

"Especially his"

"I won't lie to you, it's hard… telling the truth… and most times the consequences are severe… but in the end, it is better for everyone"

"I can't destroy their lives… my family doesn't deserve this"

"They don't deserve being lied to either"

Matt looked briefly at Roman.

And Roman looked back at him.

"Is he… is he still alive?" he asked him.

"He is… the moment Dean dies, we'll know, trust me"

Roman rubbed his temples with his fingertips, a slight headache forming, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you alright?" Hardy asked.

"Just a headache" he answered but the pain seemed to grow.

Soon it spread to his entire scull and that made him hiss.

"What is it?" Seth asked, sitting up alarmed.

"We are getting close" Matt answered "the connection is starting"

Roman felt his head was splitting. He had his head in his hands, squeezing it, trying to choke the pain away. But it was piercing him mind and he closed his eyes, bringing his head to his knees.

Then he saw them.

Images… like scattered , random photos that made no sense.

It was dark at first, and he could only see flashes of light that made his headache worse.

Then he saw a bright light and someone hovering above him, but he couldn't see who it was.

He didn't have to see though. He knew who it was.

He saw hands grabbing him and dragging him to the dirt.

Then the pain spread to his back, making Roman arch against the car seat.

"Roman, we are here… you have to focus… look around for anything that might help us… where is he? Focus…" he heard Matt speaking to him, but he sounded so far away.

Then he saw flashing images…

Dirt… rocks… the dark sky above… some trees and… and a sign.

The pain was spreading to his entire body. He felt being dragged into a house. He felt the wooden steps hitting him one by one as Bray was dragging him inside.

"Focus" Hardy's voice became louder.

Seth grabbed Roman from his shoulders trying to steady him

Roman opened his eyes and looked at Matt.

"He is in so much pain" he whispered. "He is fading…"

"Please Roman, close your eyes… I know it is hard… I know you are hurting… don't lose the connection…"

Roman closed his eyes… the images were beginning to fade… the pain was too much to intense to keep. The last flash he was, he was inside the house, the door was ajar, and Bray was coming at him…

But there… behind him… the sign he had seen earlier… it was illuminated by the car lights…

Then he felt a blow to his head that made him jerk his head and bash it against the window.

The images then started to fade and with it the pain…

The connection was getting lost.

One last vague image of the sign…

Then it was gone.

When Roman came to, the car was stopped on the side of the road and Matt was tending to a small bump on his head.

"What…" he mumbled. He looked at Seth who was worried and looking intently.

"What happened?" Seth asked. "What did you see?"

Roman sat up straight. He bump was hurting him, but nowhere near as painful as before.

"I… I saw…images… flashes… I think I saw what Dean saw… I felt what he felt… I think he was in a car trunk and Bray took him to a house… he hit him in the head and he must have passed out because that's when I lost the connection"

"Did you see anything that might help us figure out where he is?" Matt asked.

"I… I saw a sign…"

"Did you read it?"

"It read… night… night… something… farm"

"Nightfall farm?" Matt whispered.

"Yeah… that's it"

"How did you now?"

Seth and Roman looked at Matt, who was looking on the road ahead. They followed his gaze and saw a sign.

A dilapidated, wooden farm that was kept together by two nails.

It read

Nightfall Farm

10 miles

The first thing he felt was something very familiar. Something he had been feeling since he was a boy.

It was the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

He didn't open his eyes right away. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts. He figured Bray was not far away. He needed some time to think.

The last thing he remembered was Bray hitting him in the head with something. Whatever it was it had made his head bleed… and by the taste of it, it had knocked a few teeth loose.

He head was hurting…

What a surprise!

But not as much as before.

And he had this strange feeling; he felt like he had woken up after having a good dream…

But his gut told him it wasn't a dream.

He had felt him.

Roman.

He knew he was close to him, body and soul.

And that gave him hope.

It made him… happy.

"I know you are awake" Bray sounded from somewhere close to him.

Dean opened his eyes.

He gave a low moan as he tried to move. Hands still tied together. Mouth still gagged. He looked ahead and saw Bray sitting on a chair, looking at him the same way as before.

Full of hate.

He was holding a tire iron in his hands; probably the thing he had used to knock him out.

He got up and dangerously walked towards him, making Dean recoil. But the wall behind him, gave him no choice.

Wyatt stood in front of him waving the iron like he used to wave the lantern in the ring, giving it momentum. Dan braced again for impact.

But it never came.

"I have been waiting for this for so long… so, very long… now…I have you here, in my grasp… it is so sweet… I can taste it… almost… I can almost feel her… I can almost touch her… I am so close… so close…"

He sat on his haunches and grabbed Dean by the hair, forcing him to look at him.

Dean thought he ought to be scared by now. Or angry. But he wasn't. He was calm… and he felt pity for the man in front of him.

"Don't pity me" said Bray angrily, interpreting Dean's look. "Pity yourself…"

And with a swift motion, he removed the gag making Dean cough and spit out the blood that had been pooling in his mouth.

"Don't…" he mumbled.

"Don't what?"

"Don't do this… you are making a mistake"

"A mistake? How is being with the one you love a mistake? Wouldn't you give anything to be with the one you love?"

He neared him, their faces inches away.

"If you loved anyone, you would know… there is nothing you wouldn't do for them"

"I do know… I do…"

"Stop lying to me to gain time" he yelled.

"I'm not lying" Dean yelled back, hands staining against the ropes. "Why do you think I am doing this?"

That statement halted Bray.

"What?" he asked

"I am going to become the guardian to save the ones I love… I am never going to see them again" he said panting… "And you… you are willing to kill everyone, for what? So you can be with a woman… a woman who is using you! For power! Because whatever it is, it's not love…"

A punch rattled Dean's head.

"Don't talk to me about love… what do you know about love?"

He spit out more blood.

"I know I am willing to die for love… so they can be happy… I know when I am not the guardian anymore, my mind is going to be lost forever… that I'll be alone… forever…" he licked the corner of his mouth.

More blood.

"But you know what?" he continued.

Bray just looked at him, anger boiling dangerously.

"I'm happy to do it… you… you are going to kill everyone… that is not love. That is selfishness…"

Dean could no longer fight against his bonds. He rested his back against the wooden wall and looked at Bray. His back was bleeding still from the time he had been dragged against the dirt. He was running out of time and he knew it. It didn't matter what he told Bray. It was too late to change him now. All he could do was stall until his friends came.

Because he somehow knew they were coming. It was all a matter of timing. Would they come in time?

"You call me selfish?" Bray's grip on the tire iron became tighter. Dean knew that the blow was coming. "You have no idea what I have been through… thousands of years of suffering… of pain… all for her… ALL FOR HER" he yelled and got up.

He started pacing maniacally, rubbing his face and pulling his hair.

"I am so close…" he said mostly to himself.

"This is wrong… and you know it Bray… please… let me go… you are not a bad man… please…let me go…"

"NO" he screamed "you have no idea what I had to do…what I've done to be here… and now that I'll see here again… I can't stop… I won't stop…"

He looked at his hand and the tire iron.

"When I saw you for the first time… a few years ago, I just knew… seeing YOU… you took my breath away… your aura was almost blinding… nothing I had seen before… the next guardian! Within my grasp… I… I tried…" he chocked "I tried to make you see things my way, but it was apparent from the get go, you would never stand by my side…"

He looked at Dean with malice. There was no remorse in his eyes. Only hatred and despair.

And Dean was speechless. There was nothing he could say to turn him around.

The end was coming.

"I will be with her even if I have to kill this entire plane of existence… do you understand me?"

Bray took a couple of steps and approached Dean.

Their eyes locked.

Bray looked deranged.

And Dean felt defeated.

"I am sorry Dean… I really liked you… it's just that I… I have loved her for eons… She is my everything… I have killed in the past… and I will kill again…"

He brought his hand up, grasping the tire iron firmly in his fist.

Dean tried to turn his back towards him and protect his head from the coming blow.

The first hit connected with his back, right between the shoulder blade, and it felt like was being stabbed.

Hot pain spread and made him want to arch his back. But he didn't. He had to protect his head…

Buy time…

"Please… no…" he begged.

The next blow hit his lower back and laid him down on his left side.

He tried to crawl away.

The third blow hit his sides and Dean thought he might have a few ribs cracked.

Then Bray went in a frenzy. The blows came down repeatedly, some landing on his shoulder dislocating it, others on his ribs, legs…

All he could hear in the end was Bray's screaming as he brought his hand down again and again. Dean didn't scream anymore… Weirdly enough, he wasn't in pain any more. He was numb… and tired… so very tired…

His senses were beginning to fade away.

He was waiting for that blow to the head.

But it never came.

Dean didn't hear a car approaching or the door bursting open.

He didn't hear the shouting, the curses or the window breaking…

He was drifting away… he felt like he was being submerged in warm water… he felt calm…

He wanted to let go.

A pair of hands grabbed him and gently turned him around. They removed the ropes from his limbs.

He felt hands on his face. Something cold… water?

Then he heard their voices.

At first they were far away and he couldn't understand what they were saying.

Gentle fingers caressed his head and soft lips whispered in his ears.

"Wake up…" they said between sobs.

.

.

.

"Don't leave me…"

.

.

.

"Not yet"

Dean opened his eyes and met Roman's. He had been crying.

He wanted to ask him why… tell him to stop…

Tell him so many things.

But all he did was moan and cough out more blood.

Roman turned him so he could spit it out.

Dean felt so tired. But he was happy. He looked at him.

"I'm… so… happy… you came" he spoke between gasps of breath.

Roman's eyes were tearing up again.

"I'm happy I found you" and kissed his forehead.

Matt entered the room with Seth in tow.

"He got away" Seth said. "He managed to get lost in the darkness"

Matt approached Dean and kneeled next to him.

"He is alright… I think we got here in time" Hardy said and caressed Dean's bloodied hair.

"Now what?" Seth asked coming closer too, his eyes becoming sad as he took a closer look at his friend.

"We have to leave this place… we cannot stay here. We have to tend to his wounds as soon as possible. We are running dangerously out of time"

Roman help Dean up but it was apparent he couldn't walk.

"I… I can't…"

Dean screamed feeling pain emanating from his entire body.

"I can't walk" he said.

"It's ok I can carry you"

Roman picked him up with a force he didn't know he had left in him and carried him to the car. He placed him on the back seat and sat with him.

Roman looked at him.

And said "I love you"

Each step I left behind  
Each road you know is mine  
Walking on the line ten stories high  
Say you'll still be by my side

If I could take your hand  
If you could understand  
That I can barely breath the air is thin  
I fear the fall and where we'll land

We fight every night for something  
When the sun sets we're both the same  
Half in the shadows  
Half burned in flames  
We can't look back for nothing  
Take what you need say your goodbyes  
I gave you everything  
And it's a beautiful crime

Each breath I left behind  
Each breath you take is mine  
Walking on the line ten stories high  
Fear a fall you're asking why

We're leaving the things we lost  
Leaving the ones we've crossed  
I have to make an end so we begin  
To save my soul at any cost

We fight every night for something  
When the sun sets we're both the same  
Half in the shadows  
Half burned in flames  
We can't look back for nothing  
Take what you need say your goodbyes  
I gave you everything

This darkness is the light

This darkness is the light

We fight every night for something  
When the sun sets we're both the same  
Half in the shadows  
Half burned in flames  
We can't look back for nothing  
Take what you need say your goodbyes  
I gave you everything  
And it's a beautiful crime

-Tamer: Beautiful Crime-


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"I love you" Roman whispered but Dean was out of it, already passed out before they had gotten in the car. Before he knew it, the other two had also gotten in the car, Matt driving and Seth on the passenger's side, and they were diving fast, away from the god forsaken place.

"We need to find a safe place and regroup" Seth said through gritted teeth.

"Where can we go? Bray is still out there! We have to find a place where he can't get to us" Roman paused and looked at Dean. "He needs medical attention. He is bleeding and I can't tell how bad it is"

It was at that moment that Roman looked at his own hands. As he was cradling Dean, he found that blood had covered his palms and fingers, warm and sticky.

Matt didn't say anything; he simply looked at the road ahead, angry and determined.

Where could they go?

Nowhere was safe and somehow all three knew that.

"We have to be on the move. We can't stop… not now. Bray is too powerful for me to handle… and I am alone… there is no one else that can help us. We… we are alone… And he… he is too close… all the time. We may think he has gotten away, but I sense that he's not done with us…I know it."

Seth looked at the backseat.

Roman brought up his hands and silently showed him the blood with a look of fear in his eyes.

Blood was seeping through Dean's clothes and his breath was fast and shallow.

"Matt" Seth turned to Matt "he is not well… we have to get him to a doctor. He is bleeding, man"

"No… I'm sorry. The best I can do for him is tend to his wounds as best as I can and then take him to the tower. Once he is inside and the balance accepts him as the guardian, it will do the rest… it will heal him… we just have to make it in time…"

"Fuck… I hate Bray so much right now" Roman mumbled to himself and looked back down at Dean.

. . .

Thirty minutes ago

. . .

As soon as they saw the sign Matt hit the gas and the car sped forward, the wheels spinning a few times creating a thick cloud of dust behind them.

They were silent at first.

Eyes forward, cold and decisive.

Their jaws tight and the muscles in their bodies tense.

Soon enough they met another sign… this one was almost completely destroyed.

The paint was all but chipped away and a few wooden boards were missing.

Distinctive holes in numerous places made it clear that someone had used it as target practice.

Matt slowed down and read it

"Nightfall farm- 1 mile" and a arrow pointing left.

"Here we go" Hardy said and sped up the car once more.

At the one mile mark, they turned hard left to a dirt road. It was hard to see it at first since it apparently hadn't been used in years, but still they drove on.

"Matt?" Roman asked "What do we do it Bray is there"

"We chase him down and capture him"

"What if… what if we're too late?" Seth didn't want to ask that, but at that moment he felt like he had to. They had to plan for every scenario.

But Matt smiled.

"We're not… If we were, Roman would know" and gave a side glance at the Samoan.

Seth looked at him as well, silently asking the question.

"We are not… not yet… but… I don't feel so good. I think we need to hurry. I can feel Dean slipping away; fading further and further away from me"

"And what if he resists? What if Bray attacks us? Fights back?"

"Then we fight back… if push comes to shove, I'll kill him"

Those last words came out of Hardy's mouth with such clarity and sincerity, without any hesitation, that felt like a slap to the other two men.

It was as if killing hadn't crossed their minds up until that point.

As if they were somehow still clinging to the hope of a happy ending, despite the fact that everything Matt had told them so far indicated the exact opposite.

It didn't take them long to arrive. Hardy had switched the car lights off before taking the last turn.

He turned the engine off and parked the car away from view. The house was just beyond the hill, hiding behind some trees.

"Do you think he will be armed" Roman asked.

"You mean, like a gun? No"

They looked ahead. Shimmering light was coming through the cracks of the walls and the boarded up windows.

Still they were too far away to hear what was going on inside.

"Someone is in there" Seth noticed shadows moving inside.

Roman started to advance but swiftly Matt stopped him.

"Hold on! Before we go barging in… we need a plan… We have to approach the cabin quickly and silently; each from a different side. I will take the front… you two take the back. Be careful… if he gets away from me, you stop him from the back door… but mind you… should he manage to run passed you, don't go chasing him into the night alone. Dean is our priority… no Wyatt"

They agreed to the plan and silently started walking.

Roman bent down and picked up a thick fallen branch and tested it swinging it left and right.

Matt and Seth looked at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked determined "I'm not going to kill him, but I'm also not in there unarmed" and continued walking.

"I'm not going to kill that son of a bitch" he muttered and walked away.

"You better keep an eye on him" Matt said to Seth, and he grabbing another branch, he smirked.

"You bet" and followed his shield brother.

. . .

Their footsteps were almost silent.

Almost.

Matt approached from the front, taking partial cover behind trees. When he reached the broken fence around the house, he took cover, glanced at the two other forms nearing the house and waited.

Seth and Roman had decided to take to longer route around the cabin. Matt saw them reaching the path that lead them to the back and made his move.

He reached the porch with a few agile steps but had the sense of stopping before stepping on it. He wanted to try and listen first for any sound that might give him any clue or advantage. And he realized that stepping on that porch would probably make the floor boards crack and give him away.

And he didn't want to give himself away; that would put Dean in too much danger.

Possibly fatal.

He didn't have to wait long.

Soon he heard.

And what he heard made his blood freeze in his veins.

He heard the distinct sound of metal hitting flesh; he heard muffled screams…

And he heard Bray yelling incoherently.

He didn't wait for another second. He launched forth and using his shoulder and the momentum he had gained, he managed to open the door by breaking its hinges.

But like he had guessed, the creaking floorboards had betrayed him and Wyatt was not a rookie. As soon as he gained entrance and was able to steady his steps, Bray was already exiting through the back door.

. . .

The two friends had just arrived at the back. There was no porch there; nothing to betray their location. They looked at each other silently questioning their next step.

Then they heard the front door crashing.

Roman went to reach for the door handle, but at that moment, it swung outward violently, connecting hard with his head and knocking him backwards on the dirt.

Seth's eyes widened in surprise as they met Bray's for a fraction of a second.

It was all he needed… that surprise… that hesitation.

He smirked and before Rollins could react, he threw the tire iron he had been holding at him, connecting with his right arm, hitting Seth's his side, his body connecting with what little remained of a broken window and some loose boards.

Seth screamed and fell down in pain; Bray with surprising speed made a right and ran into the unknown darkness.

"Fuck" Seth screamed "You son of a bitch"

When Matt found them a few moments later, Roman was on his knees rubbing his head, wiping some blood from a small cut. Seth was holding his left arm tightly against his chest and was trying to help his friend to his feet.

"Are you ok?" he asked them and they both nodded gingerly.

"Nothing broken… I think" Seth said.

"Roman… Dean is inside… go get him…Seth and I will look for Bray… we won't take long"

That gave Roman the strength he needed. He got to his feet and ran inside, ignoring the dizziness that clouded his brain. His big strides brought him to what used to be the living room. Now empty, devoid of all furniture but on lonely chair, now it was illuminated by a familiar kerosene lamp.

The long shadows it cast made the room sinister. His eyes quickly scanned the room and soon met Dean's body. He was on the floor, arms loosely around his head for protection. But his too exposed and unprotected body bore the signs of violence.

Roman had always hated to see him bleed; especially in those old CZW matches… but this… this was all too real.

Between the torn fabric of his shirt, he could see the bruises and the cuts that were soaking it with blood. His jeans were stained too.

Roman knelt beside him not knowing what to do or how to hold him.

But he needed to. His need to hold him again was greater than the regret of the pain he would cause him. He tenderly put his hand on his shoulder and turned him around, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as his eyes met Dean's blue ones. They were red and moist… they were alive but they didn't seem to see him. They were still and looking at the void.

"Dean? Can you hear me? Look at me… come on… wake up…" he said as he caressed his head and his cheeks, turning his face to him.

"Wake up" a sob escaped his lips and he brought him closer.

"Don't leave me…. Not now… not yet…" he leaned over and whispered.

"There's so much I have to tell you" and closing his eyes, kissed his forehead gently.

When he opened them again, a pair of eyes were looking at him. They were looking at him with joy but with so much weariness and so much pain.

. . .

Roman was looking at Dean's face. He had passed out from the moment he had taken him into his arms to carry him in the car, and hadn't woken since. He had opened his eyes just enough to make sure that he was safe again, and then he had let go.

Roman figured his pain was too great to bear.

As he lay on his lap, he had the time to compose himself and do a quick check up. He looked at his own hands. They were covered with drying, sticky blood. Wiping them on his shirt, he brought his fingers to his head. That bump from the door had knocked him down, stunning him temporarily, allowing Bray to hit Seth and make his escape. He thankfully realized he was not bleeding, although he was sure he would have a headache somewhere down the line.

'Thick head' he thought but failed to amuse himself.

He looked at his shield brother. Seth was holding his arm.

"How's the arm?"

"Hurts but I don't think it's broken"

Matt looked at him as well.

"We'll find a gas station, clean up and get you guys checked… patch Dean up too"

Matt looked at Roman from the mirror.

"How's he?"

"Still out; pulse is steady I think… breathing is getting better… but we have to clean his wounds… they can get infected."

"We will… we will" he assured them.

. . .

They soon found out that the next gas station was an hour's drive from the cabin.

Seth was gaining slowly movement on his arm and he wasn't holding it any more. He was flexing it, trying to get the blood flowing and chase the numbness away.

Roman was still holding Dean's head on his lap, and was thankful for the lack of fever. His forehead still felt cool but his breathing was uneven. Looking closely he could see the eyes moving behind closed lids. He was sure that the scientists called it REM… rapid eye movement… and he sure hoped that Dean was having some good dreams.

'Doubtful'

The sun had come up a few minutes ago, warming up their bodies and driving the night away.

When they pulled into the parking lot, there were no other cars present. Despite the sun rise, the air was still crisp. The sunrays were hitting the ground, warming the earth. As the night's humidity evaporated, it created an extraordinary spectacle. The whole world looked like it was on fire; from between the trees in the distance, they could see mist rising quickly, gently caressing tree barks, branches and leaves without engulfing them in flames.

They stayed in the car for a few moments, looking at the magnificent images unfolding in front of their eyes. And those few seconds, they seemed to last forever.

Matt broke the silence.

"I'm going into the store and buy some supplies and some gas. Keep your eyes open"

He jogged to the store. The little bell chimed as he opened the door. He was the only customer at that time. A portly middle aged gentleman was behind the counter reading the newspaper and didn't give Matt one glance. Soft music was playing discreetly in the background. He walked at the back and grabbed some basic medical supplies and something to eat and drink. He came close to the counter and paid for the gas and his purchases.

Still the employee hadn't looked at him. And that would be fine in any other day. The Shield's popularity was one reason he had come alone. Bray was the other.

Ever since they had left the cabin, Matt had been on edge. He didn't feel comfortable with the way things had happened. Bray's escape bothered him more than anything. He had failed taking out Dean. He had taken too long, driving him all that way to that cabin and he had taken too long in trying to kill Dean. The fact of the matter was that Bray had failed, and that made him a very dangerous man.

He would not be making the same mistake again.

He paid the gentleman who still hadn't looked at him except to take his money.

He took the bags on his hands and as he turned to leave, he heard a familiar voice.

"I will not be making the same mistake twice"

He turned and looked at the clerk who had just spoken to him with Bray's voice. He was looking at Matt, eyes white, shaking with anger and hatred.

"RUN" he screamed.

Matt did run; but not out of fear; he was scared for himself; words had stopped intimidating him a long time ago. What made him dash to the car was the fact that there were three injured people alone in there, vulnerable to attack. They may be stronger that Wyatt, but he has magic on his side, and he has proven to be a powerful foe.

He reached the car and was relieved to see his friends alive and well.

"Are you alright?" Seth asked him when he saw his face. "You look like you've seen a ghost"

"I'm fine" he said dismissively and hastily opened the back door.

"Seth, will you please take a look at Roman's head?" and handed him some gauze and alcohol.

Roman put Dean's head down and went to sit in the front.

Hardy turned his attention on Dean. He lifted up his t-shirt to assess the damage on his chest. His breath was caught in his throat but he tried not to show his disappointment. Most of the skin was either bruised or red turning blue, or cut. The blood on most wounds had dried, except from a couple. He cleaned them as best as he knew how and dressed them carefully.

However he needed to check the back as well before tapping the entire torso.

"Help me turn him over, please" he asked for help. Roman helped him as Seth was bandaging his own arm after having finished with the Samoan's head.

"Fuck" Hardy unwillingly exclaimed. His back was worse. "Dean must have tried to protect himself from the blows by curling into a fetal position. He managed to protect his head, neck and most of his chest, but he left his back exposed … there is a lot of damage"

Roman was speechless. He knew there had to be blood on his friend's back; he had seen in on his hands; he just couldn't fathom how much of it there actually was. He had been holding him for at least an hour… how had he not seen it?

They removed his t-shirt and began the painstaking task of removing torn flesh and pieces of fabric stuck in his wounds. Fresh blood trickled down spreading all over the car seat.

Once Seth had finished, tapping his own arm, he asked if there was anything he could do to help.

There wasn't.

Not yet.

They were halfway done, when Dean began to stir.

"He's waking up!" Seth noticed first and smiled, but it faded when he saw Matt's face. "That's a good thing, right?"

"No… not right now… because pain works both ways… it can put you out or it can wake you up… and he needs to be out of it… what we are doing is too painful…"

"So what do we do?"

"Nothing" he whispered. "We have to keep going"

The first thing Dean did was moan. He didn't open his eyes. Instead he squeezed the tighter and buried his face on the seat.

"Hold on… I'm here" Roman said and held his hand in his. "Matt is fixing you… just… hold on"

And Dean held his hand. As he lay on his chest, he held both his hands, and as Matt kept cleaning the wounds and cutting the hanging pieces of flesh, he held them tighter. Moans, turned into muffled yells, and soon they too turned into screams. Roman was trying to hold him as Dean was pulling his hands free, trying to stop Hardy.

"We are nearly done… please hold on… hold onto me"

Dean felt like his entire body was burning. He wanted to open his eyes and look at Roman once more, just to make sure he was really there… but each time he felt the alcohol on his wounds or the torn flesh being tended, his muscles would tense up and involuntarily, he pulled his hands back.

And Roman was there to pull him back; show him that he was there for him no matter what.

"Guys" they suddenly heard Seth's voice calling at them alarmed.

"Guys!" he shouted again.

When they looked at up, they saw him pointing at something the distance.

He was pointing towards the tree line. It took them some time to see it.

But see it they did.

It was the same smoke they had seen before, some nights ago in the parking lot.

The same smoke that had almost killed them.

Thick, menacing and really fast approaching.

Only this time it was red.

"Shit!" Roman said.

He felt Dean pulling his hands once more and he turned to look at him.

He met his eyes.

Painful, soulful eyes.

"He's come" his rough voice whispered, "again".

. . .

Listen up!  
There's not a moment to spare  
It's quite a drop  
From the top  
So how are you feeling down there?  
It's a cold, cruel, harsh reality  
Caught, stuck, here with your enemies!

Who do you think you are?  
Tearing us all apart  
Where did you think you could go?  
'Cause everyone already knows  
It's twenty to one  
So you better run!

You got the world on its knees  
You're taking all that you please  
You want more!  
But you'll get nothing from me  
You're like the burden we bear  
You love the hate that we share  
You want more!  
But you'll get nothing from me  
But enemies!

You started something that you just couldn't stop,  
You turned the ones that you love into the angriest mob.  
And their one last wish is that you pay for it  
And there's no way you're getting out of this!

Who do you think you are?  
Tearing us all apart

Where did you think you could go?  
'Cause everyone already knows  
It's twenty to one  
So you better run!

You got the world on its knees  
You're taking all that you please  
You want more!  
But you'll get nothing from me  
You're like the burden we bear  
You love the hate that we share  
You want more!  
But you'll get nothing from me  
But enemies!

-Shinedown:Enemies-


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The red cloud was coming for them.

It was rolling towards the car like lava down the mountainside; like an unstoppable force of nature against which there was nothing they could do.

They were looking at it as it neared them, creeping at first from the tree line and then spreading across the field like a disease, rotting and killing everything.

While the others looked at in horror, Matt was the only one to react.

"Roman!" he yelled, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look at him. "Finish bandaging his back" and handed him the gauzes.

"Where are you going?"

Matt paused and looked deep into his eyes. For a moment his gaze softened and a hint of regret passed from his face.

"Finish tending to him and get out of here… I am going to buy you as much time as I can…"

"What?" Seth reacted "You can't leave us now!"

"Yes, we need you" Roman had taken hold of Hardy's arm, trying to prevent him from going.

He looked at all three men.

"I have to; otherwise we might as well all be dead in a few minutes…. Look, I'm sorry, but you have to go on without me"

He untangled his arm and walked to the car trunk and using his keys opened it. He took out a small box and then closed it again. He tossed the keys to Seth.

"Drive them to safety… drive Dean to the tower…"

"How… I don't know where it is…" Seth was lost. He felt like Matt was asking him to jump into the fire… and in a way he was.

"Dean knows where it is"

Seth looked at Dean. His eyes were open and he was looking at the red cloud. He looked in pain, but a different kind than physical. His pain seemed to be emotional; a mix of desperation and sadness.

"The closer this thing gets to him, the more danger he is in… don't let it reach you… drive and don't stop for anything. You have to be strong…" he lowered his voice so that only he could hear him "and don't let emotions get in your way. I'm counting on you to stay focused and most of all… don't let Roman do anything foolish"

Seth looked with eyes wide open but didn't say a thing. He squeezed the keys in his hand until they hurt. He simply nodded as if to say 'you can count on me'.

Matt approached Roman.

There were so many things he wanted to say but they were out of time.

"This is all that matters now. It's been an honor knowing you…" he reached out his hand and Roman squeezed it tightly.

"Will we ever see you again?"

Hardy looked at the cloud over his shoulder and then lowered his head.

"No"

Roman felt like crying.

"Don't be sad. This is my purpose… I can't defeat Bray. I don't have the knowledge or the strength. I don't think anybody does… all I can do is give you a head start and hope for the best"

He looked at the small wooden box Matt was holding.

"This…" he opened it and took out two small glass marbles, no bigger than half his palm. "this is what I used in the parking lot to a few days ago"

"I thought that was Dean"

"Some of it was… but this is different. And Dean is too weak to channel the balance right now, not with Bray in this form."

"Roman…" Seth was in the driver's seat, sounding worried "that blasted mist is coming… we have to go"

Roman hugged Matt.

"Thank you… for everything"

And Hardy hugged back.

Before they parted, Math whispered in his ear.

"Before the end, you are going to have to make a choice." He looked deep into the Samoan's eyes. "I trust you'll make the right one"

He let go of his hand and took a step back. He looked at Dean.

And he looked back.

"I'm sorry" Dean said and sat up painfully.

"Don't be… I'll be seeing you again, brother" and winked at him.

With those mysterious words, he turned his back to them and started walking towards the red cloud.

The three friends remained still for a while looking at him as walked steadily and decisively without ever taking another glance behind. None realized that they were holding their breaths.

The cloud had seemed to grow darker, a terrible blood crimson form approaching, becoming thicker, almost liquid. From the bowels of it, bright lightings stroke the earth, making the ground shake under their feet.

"We have to go now!" Seth screamed snapping out of their trance.

Hurriedly, Roman closed the doors, and the car sped away, wheels spinning leaving traces of rubber in the cemented parking lot.

To Hardy this was like music to his ears. He smiled and closing his eyes, took a deep breath. He was a few feet away from the cloud and he already could feel his own body react to it. It hurt his muscles and his bones. He could feel his joints cracking and his tendons straining.

They would soon snap, and he knew it. It was something he had learned about. As a child, when he had first been taught about the terrible force of a red cloud, it had given him nightmares for many nights. It was the most horrific death he could think about; but how strange it was now! He didn't feel scared. The pain made him feel alive and stronger. He was Dean's last defense against Bray and if his death meant giving him a chance of becoming the guardian, then he was happy to do it.

Because he believed in the balance of the universe and he believed in the strength of the guardian.

Because he believed in Dean.

He couldn't hear the car anymore and he knew his friends had been putting miles behind them. More miles, meant more chances.

He stood still, holding the glass marbles, one in each palm.

Then he heard a rumbling deep scream coming from the cloud, and then his knees snapped, making him fall painfully to the ground. But still he didn't make a sound. He felt his muscles snapping and his brain boiling.

The red cloud enveloped him, its hot plumes scorching his skin. It felt like being skinned and burned alive at the same time.

But still he didn't make a sound. Instead he opened his eyes and looked deep into it. Out of breath from the pain, he smirked.

"I got you now, fucking bastard"

Screaming with passion, with one hard, swift motion broke the marbles against his own chest.

Bright light radiated from him; it was coming from inside him, the bright light of the balance, free from the confines of its glass prison. It echoed around Matt like a napalm bomb exploding. And it spread with terrible force, like an endless rolling thunder.

The red cloud contorted painfully and the last thing Matt heard was Bray's voice cursing and promising him, he had not yet lost.

That he was not done.

"I'll see you in hell… brother" Bray mocked.

Hardy didn't have the strength to reply… he just smiled as he saw a man coming at him. He knew that form. He hadn't seen it in many years… but he was so happy.

'Father' the word filled his heart and let out a final breath.

He knew he was dead when his father finally reached him, bathed in light, hand stretched out, inviting him to come home.

'Father… I'm coming home' he thought with elation.

The two lights twirled around each other; the seemed to separate momentarily and then, they clashed against each other with force and Hardy was in the centre of the collision.

A large explosion echoed again; red cloud and bright light, enveloped and consumed each other, and after a few moments, they disappeared one swallowing the other into oblivion.

. . .

When the dust and smoke cleared, one man was left, alone, on his knees, surrounded by scorched earth.

Bray was panting hard, sweating and angrily yelling against the wind; fists shaking and hitting the earth, cursing loudly.

He had lost this battle. Matt's sacrifice had given the others time to escape and he had lost his ability to turn into the cloud, red or black. He had spent it all in this attack but he had underestimated his opponent.

It didn't matter. Dean and the others had lost their only ally… the only one who could help them.

They were out of time.

If Dean didn't find the tower before midnight, everything would be Bray's. This world would end and he would finally be united with her.

Abigail.

Her name filled him completely. Her memory gave him strength.

This loss didn't matter. All he had to do was stall the others.

Time was against everybody.

But Bray had one last card to play.

Smiling he got to his feet and walked back to the woods. He had to hurry.

He had a pray to catch.

. . .

They were a long way away when the explosion happened. Its blast caught them a few moments later, shaking the car and making it swerve violently. Seth fought hard to keep it steady and on the road while the others held on.

When the shaking ceased, they stopped the car to the side of the road and looked back.

The sky was filled with red and bright smoke that was quickly dissipating to the morning blue sky. On the ground surface, dust was settling down.

"He is gone" Dean said and looked down sad.

None replied.

"We have to keep going" Seth said after a while and started the engine.

The road was eerily empty but this was a county road, not a high way; a road to nowhere, forgotten by everybody a long time ago.

None wanted to speak.

None had the strength to move a muscle.

Instead they kept driving.

. . .

They didn't stop but for gas.

Dean had been sleeping for the most part, and Seth had let Roman drive after a while just so he could get some rest. The events of the past hours had caught up to them.

It was after seven in the evening when things started to shift.

Seth noticed that Dean had been sweating and checking him up, realized he had been running a fever. When he felt his forehead, he noticed another thing.

Dean was muttering seemingly incoherent things in his sleep.

"What do we do now?" Seth asked worriedly. "If he is like that, we must be running out of time"

"Or getting close to this tower"

Roman really wanted to be optimistic. He wasn't sure if either case scenario was optimistic since none had a happy ending for Dean.

"Maybe we should try and wake him up" Seth proposed and the Samoan agreed.

They pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Dean?" Roman shook him gently.

When that didn't help them, he held him by the armpits and brought him to a sitting position. Dean was still delirious and sweating. Tapping his cheeks didn't help either.

"What is he constantly mumbling?" Rollins asked. "He's been doing it for a while now"

Roman couldn't understand either.

He brought his ear closer.

The words were faint and spoken with no intervals. But after hearing them a few times, they became clear.

"Every Night & every Morn

Some to Misery are born

Every Morn and every Night

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to Endless Night "

"What is he saying?"

"Some poem…" Roman tried to focus. "I know this poem… how do I know this? I have heard it before…"

"Come on buddy… open your eyes… come on" Seth opened Dean's eyes. They were dilated, their blue color nothing but a small ring. They were fixed into the void and no matter what they did, they could not make him react to their words.

Then suddenly he gasped and blinked, startling them.

"It's there" and pointed to the right.

Seth and Roman looked but didn't see anything but barren land. The plain was rocky and no trees were in sight; just the horizon and the sky that quickly was changing color.

The sun was setting.

"Dean… where is it?" Seth asked.

"There" he repeated. "I see it. Just beyond that hill"

They looked at each other and without saying a word, Seth started the car and drove towards that hill, getting off the road.

"Hold on" he advised.

The path as uneven and the car bounced against the hard terrain and the sharp rocks.

Roman looked at Dean. He was slowly coming to. His eyes were clearing and color was coming to his cheeks. His fever had broken and his breathing was steady.

"We have to hurry" he told them. "He is coming"

And they knew who "he" was.

Roman looked behind them.

"Seth… we are not alone"

Three cars were behind, following them to the wasteland.

"Fuck… where did they come from?"

"I don't know… but drive faster"

He hit the gas and the car sped up.

They had almost reached the foot of the hill, when a something sharp pierced one of the front tires, rendering the car useless.

"We are walking" Seth said and hurried out of the car.

Together with Roman, they carried Dean out, each one holding one arm under their shoulder. It was a painstaking task since Dean didn't have much strength. He tried walking but he felt like dead weight.

They had started their ascent, when the other cars reached them. Six men exited and started climbing the hill behind them. They didn't walk… they looked calm but their eyes were empty. Their steps were steady and firm.

"Hurry… they are coming" Rollins said looking over his shoulder.

They were half way up when Dean lost consciousness, falling on his knees, his friends barely managing not to let him fall on his face. They were out of breath. But the others behind them kept going, not a sign of fatigue in sight.

Roman felt angry. At that moment it was as if something inside him snapped. He was not going to give up. They hadn't come this far to let those men stop them. He believed in Dean; he believed that the tower was beyond that hill. And he would rather die than let Dean down; let Matt's sacrifice go in vein.

He looked up ahead.

And then he saw it.

Why hadn't he seen it before?

From beyond the tip, he could see the point of a structure. It was made of white marble, pure and glistening as the last sunrays hit its walls.

"I see it" he said catching his breath.

Seth looked ahead. Then he saw it too.

"We are almost there"

Roman looked back at the men. They were close enough to see their faces.

Hard faces, full of anger and spite. He had never seen them before. Why were they so angry?

"They must under Bray's spell" Seth answered the unspoken question.

Roman wouldn't wait for them to catch up. He gathered his thoughts and strength and lifted Dean's limp body over his shoulder.

And he began to climb.

And that hill felt like a million miles high; and his cargo weighed a ton. But still he kept going.

The sun was casting its last rays behind them.

"Seth…" the Samoan gasped "stall them… don't let them catch us…"

Rollins didn't think twice. Grabbing some sharp rocks from the ground, he aimed and took a shot.

The first one didn't connect.

The second one connected with a man's forehead knocking him down. But the others didn't flinch; they didn't even acknowledge their fallen companion; they simply kept their steady walk.

Seth threw the third one.

It connected with another man's chest but it might as well have been a pebble; he simply kept walking.

Seth looked back at his friends to see their progress. Roman was just reaching the top so Seth decided to leave target practice. He turned around and made a dash for his friends.

It didn't take him long to reach. When he came and stood close to Roman, they had reached the top of the hill. He tried to speak but he was out of breath. Instead he looked at him. He was carrying Dean in his arms now. He had his eyes open now, but he looked tired. Some blood was trickling down his arms, and he thought that the wounds must be bleeding again.

"Why did you stop?"

But Roman didn't answer. He kept his eyes ahead, anger boiling in his veins. Seth followed his gaze down the other side of the hill, and his breath stopped.

The tower stood tall and majestic; no windows but a silver door ornate with reliefs that lead inside. That door was closed.

But just in front of it, he stood.

Bray Wyatt.

Alone, smirking and fast breathing; arms stretched out, calling them; provoking them.

"Welcome home… brothers"

. . .

Hello my friend we meet again  
It's been a while, where should we begin  
Feels like forever  
Within my heart are memories  
Of perfect love that you gave to me  
Oh, I remember

When you are with me, I'm free  
I'm careless, I believe  
Above all the others we'll fly  
This brings tears to my eyes  
My sacrifice

We've seen our share of ups and downs  
Oh how quickly life can turn around  
In an instant  
It feels so good to reunite  
Within yourself and within your mind  
Let's find peace there

'Cause when you are with me, I'm free  
I'm careless, I believe  
Above all the others we'll fly  
This brings tears to my eyes  
My sacrifice

I just want to say hello again  
I just want to say hello again

When you are with me I'm free  
I'm careless, I believe  
Above all the others we'll fly  
This brings tears to my eyes  
'Cause when you are with me I am free  
I'm careless, I believe  
Above all the others we'll fly  
This brings tears to my eyes  
My sacrifice, My sacrifice

I just want to say hello again  
I just want to say hello again

My sacrifice

-Creed:My Sacrifice-

. . .

The verses Dean is reciting are a small excerpt from William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" presumably written in 1803 and published in 1863. The entire poem is a bit long but you can read it in its entirety by simply doing an on line search.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bray stood a few feet in front of the door. Eyes shining and muscles shaking with anticipation. He was so close to success he could almost taste it.

And how sweet it was!

It had taken all the last traces of magic Abigail had given him all those years ago to cast a spell on those men and follow them here. He wished he had a little more left but that clash with Hardy had drained most of it. Matt was powerful, but he was stronger.

He was smiling because he didn't need magic any more. He had all three of them right in his grasp. Last time he had made a huge mistake and he had underestimated them; he had let his anger and impatience get the better of him and that had given them the opportunity to strike and chase him away.

But it was probably for the best. He needed Dean and killing him back then would have been a bad idea. But he didn't think he would need Seth or Roman. As events had unfolded, it ended up the exact opposite.

He did need them.

For leverage.

His plan although hastily put together, had worked… to perfection… now there was only one last thing to do, and all would be over. This infernal world would be his; his to devour and destroy.

Seth simply looked at Bray standing in front of that tower and he could feel Roman shaking next to him in pure rage. From behind them, he could hear the footsteps of those men against the gravel coming nearer.

"Put me down" Dean asked weakly.

Roman looked at him and his eyes softened. Without any word, he did as he was asked.

"Do you see it now?" he asked as he looked at the tower. "It's beautiful… and it's calling me…I can hear it…"

"Yes… we can see it…" Seth said. "We can also see five men coming at us from behind and that bastard Bray waiting for us down below"

"Leave him to me" Roman said through gritted teeth and started to walk down the hill, but Dean stopped him.

"No… you have to help Seth… he's going to need your help with those men. I can deal with Wyatt…"

"Dean, no! You are too weak…"

"The tower is giving me strength. The closer I get to it, the better I am…" He looked deep into his eyes and took his hand in his own. "Come find me when you are done…"

He let go of his hand, looked Seth in the eyes silently saying the same words and turned his back making his descend towards the tower and Bray.

Every step he took towards the tower gave him new strength and lifted the pain that had been consuming his body for so long.

Every step he took made his path clearer and his mind more defined. Knowing what to do was such a relief to his soul.

When he reached the foot of the hill he turned around to look at his friends.

The other men had just reached them and had formed a semi circle around them.

But Dean knew them. He knew how strong they were when they were motivated. There was nothing that could stop them… there never was. He was certain they would be joining him as soon as they had finished disposing of them.

He had Bray to deal with.

He looked at him. The same smirk was still spread across his face, and those maniacal eyes shone brighter and brighter. His final steps brought him a few feet away from him. Then he stopped and looked at him.

"I knew we were the same… from the first time I saw you, all those years ago… I knew" he laughed.

"No" he said matter-of-factly and that simple word erased the laughter from Wyatt's face. He took one step closer to him, but he was still out of reach.

Dean was somewhat happy to see that smirk wiped away from his face. Wyatt was a master at playing mind games, but Dean was good at it too. When it came to that man in front of him, he knew better that anyone how to mess with his mind.

Or at least try to before he got the upper hand on him.

Dean had to give the first blow.

"She doesn't love you, you know. She has been using you"

Those words fell like a ton o bricks on Wyatt's heart. Dean could see the anger reach a boiling point in his opponent's face but still he kept going.

"You were nothing but a pawn in her plan… she knew she couldn't destroy the balance from the other side, the magic over there is too strong for her to go against… their chosen guardians were too well protected by their wise men and they were too well trained. She didn't stand a chance… but on this side… our side, it would be easier. All she had to do was pick someone and lure him to the dark side… someone she knew that during the 'division' would come here… someone she would able to corrupt… someone willing to spend centuries plotting, planning and waiting for the moment the wise men would be gone… forgotten… someone…"

"No"

"Someone like you"

He finally said it and to Bray it felt like a knife through the heart.

"You lie" he yelled and clenched his hands into fists.

"Am I? Look deep into your heart and tell me I'm wrong…"

Dean took another step closer.

"You said we were the same… maybe to some extend we are. I would do anything to protect the ones I love… and I will… do anything to save their lives… but I would never… ever… kill a friend"

Dean's eyes became hard and full of fire. He would never forgive Bray for killing Matt. If there was ever any hope for him, it was gone the moment he had killed Hardy.

He knew he was pushing all his buttons and he knew he was dangerously close to the edge. Speaking the truth was something that people didn't want to hear and that, he had learned early in his age.

When it came to love, people preferred being blind.

Ignorance is bliss, after all.

What he didn't see coming was a punch… he had miscalculated thinking he still had some leeway in pushing Wyatt further.

Apparently, he was wrong.

That punch connected with his left temple and brought his to his knees. Before he had time to react, Bray was upon him kicking and screaming; feet connecting with his chest abdomen and legs.

"You lie" he yelled. "You are a liar"

A kick connected with his head and laid him on his back, blood tricking from his mouth.

Bray stopped.

'Not yet'

He still needed him.

"I'm not lying…" Dean spit out the blood and coughing managed to get on his knees clasping his abdomen.

Bray lunged forward and grabbed him from the neck, squeezing tight.

How he wanted to kill him… keep on squeezing until his eyes bulged out… until he could crash every bone in his neck… but he needed him.

So he hesitated.

"Go on… kill me…" Dean asked between desperate gasps of air.

Bray let go and Dean fell back rubbing his throat.

"You want to but you can't, can you? You need me… to open that door" his eyes pointed at the tower's door. "And you can't open it because you are not the guardian… I am… and I'm not opening it for you."

"If you don't open it by midnight, everything will be gone. You, your friends… their families"

"Abigail" Dean cut him off. "She will be gone too"

Gingerly he managed to stand up. "Are you ready to let her go? You have waited all these years, for what? For the promise of love?"

He wiped the blood from his lips.

"I don't know much about love, but what I do know is that true love doesn't use you; it doesn't change you; true love… doesn't kill… true love isn't this hell you are living in…"

His eyes softened as they met Bray's.

"Look at what you've become"

There was no pity in them.

Bray's eyes fell on the ground, feeling his heart shatter.

If this wasn't love then what was it?

He gritted his teeth.

"You know nothing of hell" he mumbled and lunged forward again, fists hitting anything they could connect with.

Dean fell backwards with a loud thud and Bray straddled his chest, pinning his arms under his legs.

"You know nothing of love… if I can't have it, no one will…" he screamed and started punching him repeatedly.

. . .

When Dean started descending the hillside, Roman turned to Seth and then both looked at the approaching men. There were five of them remaining, one still down from the rock that hit him on the head a few minutes ago.

It didn't take them long to reach the top. One by one they came and stood firmly, forming a semi circle. They were not wielding any weapons that they could see, but the looks on their faces spoke volumes of magically induced hatred.

The two brothers stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight. They felt the nerves in their bodies on edge and their muscles tense in anticipation. They stayed a couple of moments measuring each other, but it became obvious that the unknown men wouldn't attack, Seth looked at his brother.

"They are stalling… they are trying to buy Bray time…" and Roman nodded in agreement.

"Then let's bring it to them"

They both looked ahead at their opponents. Roman was the first to act. With a war cry that would make his ancestors proud, he lunged forward and speared two of them to the ground.

Seth on the other hand aimed for a different part of their bodies. He took a step back and then jumped feet first, aiming at the kneecaps of the third man. A loud crack was heard and the man screamed as he fell face first to the ground hitting his face on the rocks, knocking him out senseless.

He turned to look around for the Samoan, but the other two remaining men were coming for him. They jumped at him like animals at their pray; hungry and thirsty for blood. One grabbed him by the hair trying to hit his head on the ground, while the other kicked his legs.

Roman had connected the spear with the midsection of his two enemies. All three fell to the ground, rolling a few feet down the hill. The shield member was the first on his feet. That move had hurt his shoulders but the adrenaline was enough to ignore it. He turned his gaze towards Seth. He had taken out one man, but the other two were on him hitting him with rage. He started climbing to his aid when one of the men he had speared attacked him from behind, both falling face first. Roman managed to turn on his back and at the last moment moved to the right avoiding a fistful of rock hitting his face. The rock landed just beside his ear with a hollow sound. He brought his legs to his chest and connected his kick with the man's chest sending him flying backwards. Roman grabbed the rock from the ground and weighed in his hand. The same man was coming to his feet again, but it didn't last long. He held it tightly in his palm and once more darted forth. The rock connected with the man's temple, cracking his skull and drawing blood. That man fell down and didn't get up.

Roman turned to the second man he had speared. That one didn't move. Blood was pooling under his head signifying he was either dead or passed out from the force of his spear.

Noises of kicks and screams from behind him didn't let him linger for long. Seth needed his help. He turned and saw one of them hitting Seth's head to the ground while the other kept kicking him. His massive legs needed two strides to bring him next to them. When he came near them, he took a high jump and landed a direct punch to the kicking man's nose, breaking it instantly. The other man stopped hitting Seth's head but before he could react, Roman used the momentum and the adrenaline running through his body and kicked his back, knocking him off of Seth.

Seth was still alive and breathing. He felt dizzy from the bumps he had taken to the head, but he managed to turn to his side and tried to get up. He looked up and saw the Samoan picking up a rock from the ground and hit the man's head, breaking jaw and teeth.

As he was trying to get up, Roman came to him and helped him to his feet. Their battle had brought them a few feet down the other side of the hill and didn't have a visual on Dean and Bray.

"Are you ok?" he asked Seth.

Rollins rubbed the back of his head coming up with blood on his fingers.

"No… but I think I'll be fine"

He accepted his hand and stood up gingerly.

"Dean?" he asked Roman.

"I don't know… let's go"

They hastily climbed the hill and came to the top. They looked down and saw Bray straddling Dean, pinning his hands under his own weight and punching him fiercely. Without a word they started making their way down. Falling a couple times and tumbling down a few feet each time, they finally reached the foot of the hill and ran towards Bray.

Seth was the faster of the two and reached the tower door first. He grabbed Bray from behind and dragged him to the side, bringing him to a head lock using his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist.

Bray had nowhere to go.

He struggled against Seth but that made only the head lock tighten around him, squeezing the air out his lungs.

"Let go Wyatt… stop fighting…" Seth ordered.

Roman on the other hand was instantly on Dean's side. He knelt down and took Dean's head on his hands.

"Dean? Can you hear me?"

Dean opened his eyes slowly and coughed out the blood from his mouth.

"I was wrong…" he whispered.

"About what?"

He looked at Bray.

"He can't be saved. He is too far gone…"

Roman helped Dean stand up. He couldn't do it alone so he leaned on Roman. Everything hurt and he was sure Bray had broken more than a few bones of his. He looked at Wyatt pitifully. He had stopped struggling against the headlock; he had tears running down his face.

"Let him go" he asked Seth.

Seth let him go and kicked him away from him. Bray came to his knees and looked up at Dean, defeated.

"You know nothing of love… and you know nothing of hell…'" he spat at him once more.

Dean simply looked at him.

"You know nothing as well… what you feel inside, isn't love and it isn't hell. Those feelings inside you are the strings Abigail has put around your heart to control you… make you her puppet…"

"How do you know? How can you know?" Bray breathed fast.

"The balance told me… ever since I saw the tower, I can hear voices, calling me… inviting me inside… whispering in my ear the truth…"

"How does it feel?" Wyatt asked, his face changing to a mask of sorrow

Dean looked at Roman.

"It is beautiful and it is painful". The answer was aimed at his dear friend.

Bray tried to stand up but Seth's hand on his shoulder held him down.

"I'll never stop… a thousand years from now, I'll still be here… and I will be with her again…"

Dean lowered his head in sadness. He looked at the kneeling man.

"I know… and the balance knows it… that's why you have to die"

"What?" Roman was surprised. "Killing someone in self defense is one thing, but you are talking here is murder…"

"Dean, he is right" Seth agreed.

"We don't have to do it… Bray will do it himself."

All three looked at him.

"And he knows it… he's known it for a long time. This was his last chance. The balance knows him now and it will never accept him as the guardian. He can never cross the divide and be with Abigail again… And he can't wait another thousand years… his magic is gone… it was the only thing concealing him. Now he has a choice… live forever, alone or die and hope to one day reunite with her, in the afterlife"

Bray was sobbing, realizing finally he had lost the game. He would never be with Abigail. He had played all his cards, he had put everything on the line, but he hadn't counted on the guardian having the help of Hardy and especially his two friends. He had planned everything so perfectly but he had underestimated his enemies. Now all was lost… she was lost…

Bray reached inside his jacket's pocket and took out a small black velvet bag, no bigger than half his palm. He looked at it tears running down his eyes. He brought it and held it tightly against his chest. He breathed in and stopped his crying. He wiped his tears away and looked at Dean.

"You promise? That I'll see her again in the afterlife? You promise?" he asked.

Dean hobbled to him, Roman by his side. He knelt down painfully and looked into Wyatt's eyes.

"Yes. I promise. I will make sure"

He took Bray face in his hands and kissed his forehead. They touched foreheads, their souls finally at peace. Their war was over… with a heavy cost… but it was over.

Roman helped Dean up and along with Seth took a few steps back. They couldn't be near Bray when he ended it all.

Bray looked at Dean and then opened the bag. Inside lay a glass marble, similar to the one Matt had used in his battle at the parking lot. Only this one was black. A red thin line ran across it, twitching constantly like a worm.

"I am ready" he whispered. "I am sorry" he finally said.

"I am sorry too" Dean replied from a distance.

With one swift, violent motion he broke the marble on his chest.

Instantly black smoke enveloped him and from within a red thin wormlike form appeared and wrapped around him, growing bigger and bigger. It circled his boy a few times, reaching higher and higher until it had extended to his neck. Then it started to tighten its grip. The tip of the worm grew a few inches and entered Bray's mouth.

He let out muffled gurgling sounds when it entered his mouth and started crawl down his throat, blood, spit and bile coming out from every orifice of his body.

The sight was excruciatingly disgusting to watch, but none of them looked away.

When the red worm was all inside him, the black smoke grew bigger and thicker. It engulfed Bray completely. Then it started to twirl and contort around him faster and faster.

A scream was heard from within.

Then the smoke started to get smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a black dot, hovering above the ground.

Bray was simply gone.

Dean looked at it sadly, realization hitting him hard. He knew what that was.

"This is just like the black dots I had been seeing all my life…now I know what they are…"

"What are they?" Seth asked without taking his eyes off of it.

"They are lost souls… souls of the damned… waiting… longing to be saved…"

The black dot hovered for a few more moments and then flew inside the tower, passing from the walls like they didn't exist.

Dean looked at Roman and Seth. They had taken a beating but they were safe.

They would be safe.

He took a step forward to the tower and without looking back he spoke.

"It's time"

. . .

Just one more time before I go  
I'll let you know  
That all this time I've been afraid  
Wouldn't let it show  
Nobody can save me now, no  
Nobody can save me now

Stars are only visible in darkness  
Fear is ever-changing and evolving  
And I, I can poison the skies  
And I, I feel so alive

Nobody can save you now  
King is crown, it's do or die  
Nobody can save you now  
The only sound  
It's the battle cry  
It's the battle cry  
It's the battle cry  
Nobody can save you now  
It's do or die

Nobody can save you now  
King is crown, it's do or die  
Nobody can save you now  
The only sound  
It's the battle cry  
It's the battle cry  
It's the battle cry  
Nobody can save you now  
It's do or die

Just one more time before I go  
I'll let you know  
That all this time I've been afraid  
Wouldn't let it show  
Nobody can save me now, no  
Nobody can save me now

-Imagine Dragons: Battle Cry-


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

. . .

This is the last chapter, so hold on…

. . .

Those words echoed in Roman's head and reverberated in his heart, cracking it, breaking it to pieces.

"It's time" Dean said and took a step towards the tower, turning his back to his friends.

With every step he took, he felt his body heal and strength returning to his body. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at the tall structure and a smile appeared to his lips as voices came from inside it; melodic, happy voices welcoming him home.

"What is it?" Seth asked troubles by his friend's behavior.

Dean looked at him.

"They are speaking to me… they are welcoming me home"

Roman lowered his head and looked down on the ground.

"Now what?" Rollins asked. "You just go inside?" sadness in his voice.

"It's not as simple as that… there is a test I have to pass before I become the guardian"

"Test? What test?" Roman asked looking up in surprise.

"The gate opens with a code…"

"Code?" Seth stepped forward and stood with Dean near the door.

From this distance he could see it with detail. It was made of pure silver; shiny and flawless. It was arched and divided in two, like the gates of old castles, one opening to the left and one to the right. Each part was separated into different squares and Seth guessed there must be hundreds of different symbols carved in the centre of each square. No two symbols were alike, and they varied from simple ones like flowers and trees to strange and unfamiliar ones, that looked like letters from long dead ancient civilizations. From four corners of the door frame, four different lines began, lines that traveled and snaked among the squares and ended up in the centre of the gate. There, he could see a larger square. In it there was the silhouette of a naked man hovering in the void, arms stretched out, head looking up, light traveling through his body. At the top and the bottom of the frame, there were points of what seemed to be pyramids.

"What is that?" Seth asked and his hand touched the middle of the door.

"That is the guardian channeling the balance between the two worlds… the four lines are the elements… earth, fire, water, wind… all forming the core of the balance…"

"How do we open it? I mean there must be a clue"

He looked closer and it was at that moment he noticed that around each square there was a thin line, meaning that each one could be pressed.

"Those aren't frames" Seth whispered "they are buttons"

"Roman…" Dean breathed weakly. He suddenly felt the world spinning around him and was about to fall when two arms held him.

"Dean!" was all Roman said and was able to hold him before falling down. He gently sat his down, holding his back in his chest. He could feel his friend's breath become faster but shallower. All color seemed to be draining from his face.

Seth was on them immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"You… you have to hurry" Dean whispered.

"I thought the tower gave you strength…" Roman said but cursed under his breath. Dean's skin felt cold… dead cold.

"I… I'm taking too long… t… to enter… you… you have to enter the code…"

Seth looked at Roman.

"What code? Dean…"

"The… poem…" was all he said and closed his eyes, passing out.

Roman looked at his hands. There was blood on them. His wounds were opening. That tower was not made for lingering. Maybe once the guardian was there, he had to enter at once. Maybe it was the balance's way of pushing things forward; compelling the chosen one to assume his place.

And they had lingered for too long.

"Roman… what poem?" Seth asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Roman looked at the door and then at Dean. There were so many symbols on there… guessing wouldn't be an option.

"The poem…" something in his brain snapped. "The one he had been saying in the car!"

"Do you remember it?"

"I think so… maybe we should press the buttons in the correct order"

Seth got up and stood by the door.

"Every Night & every Morn" Roman began

Seth looked frantically. He found what he was looking; two squares, one on the left with the moon and one on the right with the sun.

Moon; then sun, he pressed.

A click was heard from deep within the halls of the tower. They looked at eachother.

"It's working… keep going" Rollins said.

"Some to Misery are born"

"Misery…"

Seth let his eyes wonder…

"Hurry!" Roman yelled. He could feel Dean in his arms fading. His muscles had began to twitch and shiver uncontrollably and he guessed that seizures would soon follow.

"Fuck!"

Then it hit him…. Misery… it's a feeling… something you feel when you are down…

Down…

He looked at the bottom of the door.

There… a square with the image of a malnourished man on his knees, head in his hands. He didn't think about it twice, and pressed it.

Another click, this time coming a little closer.

"Every Morn and every Night"

Sun and Moon.

Click. Click.

"Some are born to sweet delight"

"Shit" Seth breathed.

Delight… sweet delight…

Nothing…

"I don't see anything…." He told Roman desperately.

Roman gritted his teeth. He had tightened his grip around Dean, who had started to shake, cries of pain escaping his lips.

"Seth… that poem… I know it… it's William Blake… I remember now… the Brooklyn museum… Dean and I went there and he was obsessed with his art and poetry… he liked this painting of the Ancient of Days…"

"Who?"

"God… inside a flaming sun reaching down touching the tip of a pyramid…"

Seth looked back at the door. He remembered seeing an image like this somewhere in there. But there were so many.

But if 'Misery' was at the bottom, then Delight would be at the top.

God would be at the top.

He looked up. Then he saw it. A square at the right side of the gate, just like Roman had described. An old bearded man inside a flaming sun reaching down, his left hand touching the tip of a pyramid. He quickly pressed it.

The third click sounded even closer.

He looked at Roman.

"Again…" he said.

"What?"

"The fifth verse is the same. Press it again"

Hastily Seth pressed the Ancient God square.

The fifth click sounded more like a bang and it made Seth recoil. Roman looked up alarmed.

"Some are born to Endless Night" he yelled "Hurry"

At that moment Dean began to have seizures. He arched his back against Roman, and began to shake. The Samoan held Dean's arms crossed against his friends chest with one hand and used the other to hold his head in place.

"I can't hold him much longer… Some are born to Endless Night… hurry!"

Endless night…

Moon?

No he had already pressed that one.

Night… without end… infinite… like space?

Like the stars? Many stars?

His eyes wondered around and thankfully it didn't take him long. At the far left of the gate, almost touching the wall, he saw the final square. An frame of many tiny stars that went deep into the image, giving it an unbelievable depth and realism.

He found his fingers shaking…

What if he was wrong? He looked at Dean. His face a mask of pain and desolation. Roman's arms were covered in Dean's blood. The Samoan had his eyes closed whispering to his ear things that Seth could not hear, but the tears forming in his eyes told him that he too was desperate and in pain; a different kind of pain.

His fingers barely touched the surface of the last square when the button was pushed in. He retreated his hand and took a step back away.

This time there was not a click but a loud bang. As if someone was behind the door and was banging it.

Dean went limp.

"Dean?" Roman caressed his face gently but no response came. "He is barely breathing" he said. He picked him up in arms. He was suddenly so very heavy but he managed to stand and walked to the door with Seth by his side.

"I have the guardian." He said loudly to the door.

And soundlessly, it opened wide revealing the interior.

It was made of pure white marble, completely empty but so bright.

Still carrying Dean, they stepped inside, fearing a little of what would happen if they went in.

Nothing did.

As they made their way in, they realized they could not hear the sound of their footsteps. In the far end of the large vast room was a ladder that lead up to what looked like pure white light. That light didn't hurt their eyes. Instead it filled their hears with calmness and relief.

This was the end.

They had made it.

But was it too late?

With every step Roman took, Dean became lighter in his arms.

They soon reached the foot of the marble steps. He looked at Seth and then his precious cargo. Dean's eyes fluttered open and looked at him with deep gratefulness and love. His hand touched the Samoan's broad chest gesturing to put him down.

He did and surprisingly Dean was able to stand on his feet.

"Are you ok?" Roman asked and he nodded 'yes'.

Dean looked at the steps.

"You see? I had no choice… I had to come here… it was my destiny."

Roman felt like his heart was on a vise that kept squeezing tighter and tighter. His chest heaved trying to suppress the sobs that threatened to surface. Seth beside him had almost the same look on his face.

"Don't be sad" he told them.

"I can't help it" Reings mumbled. "I'm not going to see you again…"

"But I will… forever… till the end… and then I'll be with you again…"

He took a step away from them. He turned and looked at them, his face a mixture of joy and sadness.

Joy for the fulfillment of his destiny; for all the good he was about to do.

Sadness… for all things left unsaid. All the feeling left inaswered.

"I'm sorry" Roman said. "I wish we had more time… to tell you all the things I wanted to tell you…"

"I know" Dean cut him off "I have always known"

"I'm sorry" was all his could say. A tear ran down his face and he quickly wiped it off.

"I'm not… I am grateful for all the time we had together. For all the things you have given me; for being my friend till the end… without you I wouldn't have made it this far… don't be sorry for the way you feel. I am happy you were in my life. I am honored to call you my friend."

"But I wanted to be more" he finally said "and I hate myself it took me so long to admit…"

"Don't hate yourself. I leave you happy and in peace, knowing that you love me, as I do"

Dean looked at Roman. He wanted to walk up to him and kiss him…once… just one first and last time; but he knew it wouldn't be a good idea. He was about to leave Roman behind forever and kissing him would break the big man's heart; it would destroy him.

It was best to leave things as they were.

An unfulfilled perfect love.

Dean walked and stood in front of Seth. He too had tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to miss you" he told him and hugged him.

"Take care of him… he's going to need it" he whispered in his ear and Seth nodded. "You are going to need each other… now more than ever…"

He leaned and kissed his forehead, before adding an almost silent 'I love you'.

Then he came to Roman. He looked him deep in his eyes and smiled bitterly.

When they hugged, their hearts broke. They held each other tightly, each man burying his face in the other's neck.

"Don't go…" Roman begged "take me with you"

But he knew he couldn't.

Dean took a fistful of Roman's t-shirt and held it firmly.

"I love you. Always have and always will…" he whispered against his neck.

He quickly untangled himself from his embrace and turned his back, taking the first step towards the stairway. He wanted to turn around and take one last look at him, but that would break his and Roman's heart more. It was for the best to just keep walking with this last embrace etched in memory forever; remembering forever how good it felt feeling his skin against his; trying to hold in his heart his scent…

He knew if he looked back, his integrity as a guardian would be compromised.

He took another step but felt Roman's hand still holding his own. He wouldn't let go.

He stood still and silent.

"You have to let him go" Seth said and gently pulled their hands apart.

It didn't take much force.

Once their hands were separated, Dean started making his way up the stairway.

"Come on, we have to go" he told the Samoan and forced him to turn around.

They took a few steps to the exit, when Roman stopped.

"Keep walking… don't look; don't turn around…" Seth told him.

When they reached the gate, Dean was already reaching the top, the bright light consuming his silhouette completely.

They exited, heads hanging low and Seth closed the doors behind them.

They didn't see Dean entering the light; they didn't see the force of the balance circling him a few times and then passing through him, lifting him up in the air and holding him there for one thousand years.

Arms stretched out, head looking up, face in peace and calmness, like a statue of old; perfect and unflinching.

The doors closed and both friends found themselves outside. Roman turned to look but the tower was gone; vanished leaving no trace behind.

"No!" he said and fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands.

It was all over. They had won, but he… he had lost everything. He felt Seth kneeling beside him and without saying a word he hugged him, comforting him, perfectly understanding his loss. There was nothing he could say to make it better. Everything had taken place so fast. And they had lost so much. They had lost friends and parts of themselves.

Forever.

It felt like everything and everyone they had loved was dead.

And they might as well be dead.

Seth wondered if they, and especially Roman, would ever be able to recover from all that had happened. They had their own scars, visible and invisible, to tend to.

And he knew they would have to somehow pick up the pieces of their broken hearts and lie.

Lie…

Lie about what had happened to Matt Hardy.

Lie about what had happened to Dean.

Lie about everything while still trying to keep it together.

Now they would need each other more than anything.

The war might be over, but their own personal battles were about to begin, and they both knew that.

He helped Roman to his feet and together started making their way back home.

'Home is where the heart is'

Roman looked back when they reached the top of the hill.

Midnight.

The sky was filled with stars and he thought that the moon had never shone brighter.

"Come" Seth tapped his shoulder. "We have a long way to go"

'The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.' (*)

Roman thought of a poem Dean had told him once upon a time and smiled bitterly. It fit this moment so perfectly.

'And miles to go before I sleep'

THE END

. . .

(*) Excerpt from "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost.

. . .

Here we are, now lay the burden down  
We're coming to the end of our road  
Sorrowful yet glorious somehow  
To be humming this one last ode

So calm and still... it wasn't all that bad, or was it now?  
Fulfilled... it doesn't only hurt to end it now

The funeral

The memories beneath the dust of years  
They seem like those of someone deceased  
There's no more to be done, or hoped or feared  
Just waiting for the final release

So calm and thrilled... it wasn't all that bad, or was it now?  
Still, it doesn't only hurt to end it now

Is life over, this life's over?  
Or has it only just begun?  
It grows colder, starts to molder...  
Coming apart yet still not done

Forever one.

-Sentenced: End Of The Road-

. . .

Notes:

This is the end. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. It has taken me a really long time to write another story. I had to overcome a lot of pain and misery in my life, but I think that I can finally say that I'm starting to put my pieces back together. Nobody had told me how hard life is. I truly hope that yours is easy and filled with laughter and happiness.

Also, I am thinking of making a sequel. Let me know what you think and if you would like to read one.

As always… turn off the lights and close the door behind you.

Goodnight.


End file.
